Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen
by The Nerdfighter
Summary: He dedicated his life trying to find a cure - a retro-mutagen that would win April back. Now, after constant experiments, Donatello has found a way to turn April's dad back to normal. But if finding a cure that will reverse the mutagen's effects is possible, could Don maybe find a way to turn him and his brothers human? 2k12 inspired. Warning: Gender bender
1. The Big News

**Author's Note: **Hello, hello my fabulous readers! Nerdfighter here providing you with another story that just kept bouncing around in my head so much I just had to get it all written down. Now it's up here for you awesome readers to read and hopefully fall in love with. Well, maybe not fall in love with, but I'm hoping it'll get a good chuckle outta ya. ;D

Now, as you saw from the warning in the summary, this IS a gender-bender fic. Yes, I know, a lot of gender-bender fics don't normally turn out so well. Usually it's because there's not really any plot build up to certain gender-bender fics. I'm not bagging on all of them because I believe I have read some that turn out okay. But to ease anyone's mind who clicked on this story feeling rather skeptical, don't worry. I did my homework, worked on the plot and the direction I want to go for MONTHS, (seriously, I've had this idea stuck in my head since I think November and have been working out all the details ever since then), and I talked to a good handful of authors that helped me work out some of the kinks and push me in the right direction. Now all I ask is you give this fic a try. Who knows, you might even like it. :)

Alright, now there are A LOT of people I'd like to thank for helping me make this fic possible. A HUGE, GIGANTIC thanks to **SleepingSeeker**, who helped me bounce off a lot of great ideas and also gave me a great confidence boost in posting up this story. You rock my socks, deary and I give all the big hugs and thanks I can offer! (squeeze!) I'd also like to give a big thanks to **TheIncredibleDancingBetty**, **Roo**, **Koriat Cy****redanthem**, and **AlexHamato **for giving me a lot of tips and pointers on the Stealthy Stories forum I posted for this story. You guys rock! ;D Also, I'd like to point out that I added a smidgen of dialogue from **Roo** when Donatello goes into his little excited rant.

Okie dokie! So without any further adieu, I hope you readers enjoy the fic and let me know what you think. :) Also, DO NOT FORGET to check out the new Stealthy Stories website for any details about the 2013 Fan Fiction Competition. The link can be found right on my profile. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 1**

**The Big News**

* * *

Mikey never was keen on the process of having to sit still. Having to sit still while waiting for Donnie to saunter back into the living room to tell him and his brothers the 'big news'? An even bigger reason why he never liked the process of having to sit still! He never was good at meditation. No, that was more Leo's strong point. Heck, even when he was just sitting on the couch watching TV, he still felt the need to have to shift around every commercial break, stretching his limbs and awakening the stiffness radiating through his body. He never understood how one could just sit there and not move. It just felt weird. Unnatural.

"You know the blood's gonna rush all the way to your head if you keep laying like that," Raph pointed out, addressing his youngest brother's odd sitting position before a pair of baby blue eyes stared up at him in question.

Just as the red-banded turtle indicated, Mikey was indeed sprawled over on the couch in a rather unique fashion. Like a ragdoll who had just gotten tossed to the side, his legs hung over the top of the couch in a lopsided, upside down manner, his arms no different while his head lolled backwards and barely touched the ground. While it wasn't the most _comfortable _sitting position, Mikey figured it was the only position that would keep him awake as they all sat and waited for Donnie's arrival.

Patience waning into the thinnest of lines, the orange-banded turtle let out an exasperated huff, eyes narrowed in a light glower. "What do you think is the big news anyway? Do you think he got April pregnant?"

"_Pfft_, please. The guy can barely talk to her, what makes you think he's got the balls to see her naked without fainting?" Raph asked, his arms crossed over his plastron in a lazy fashion.

"Well he said its big news, so I'm assuming it's something … well you know, _big_."

"Great word choice there, Mike. Remind me never to go up against you in Scrabble," the Sai-wielder retorted, receiving a rather dark glare from his baby brother before Leo shot them both a stern, parental glance.

"Alright, enough you two. Whatever it is Donnie has to tell us, I'm sure it's something positive. He seemed rather happy when he was gathering everyone into the living room."

"Well we're all here so who else does he have to get? If I have to wait any longer I think I'm going to pass out before I even get to hear what the big news is." Mikey whined, throwing his arms backward so that his wrists touched the floor and his hands rested against the cool concrete floorboard.

Suddenly, as if on cue, Donnie came rushing through the living room with Master Splinter in toe, the wizened rat taking his time ambling down the steps before standing behind the couch where his sons all sat. Smiling eagerly down at his T-phone, Donnie immediately switched the device onto 'speaker' mode; the background image of April's smiling face greeting him warmly before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Alright, I switched you over to speaker phone, April. Can you hear me okay?"

_"Loud and clear, Donnie. So what's this all about?"_

"Yeah, dude. I think you kept us in the dark long enough, so spill!" Mike ordered rather impatiently, not even bothering to roll over and sit up in a more appropriate position, which didn't seem to faze Don at all. In fact, he seemed so struck with jubilation and excitement that his youngest brother's words didn't even fall upon his eardrums. He just stared back at the three of them and his sensei, face beamed with pride.

"Alright, now that everyone is here and I have all of your guys' attention, I can begin my announcement." He smiled eagerly, clearing his throat and collecting his thoughts; his stomach a ball of compact, jittery nerves. "Okay, so you guys all know that I've been trying to create a retro-mutagen since the un-forsaken mishaps that have befallen on both Mr. O'Neil and Timothy, correct?"

"How can we forget, genius? You nearly blew us all up a good twenty times since you started on that cure," Raph pointed out, impatience written all over his intolerant scowl.

Ignoring his brother's retort, Donnie continued on with his speech, the smile tugging at his lips still never leaving his brightened face. "Well, I've been experimenting a lot more with the last canister we retrieved from the Kraang a couple of days ago. Getting the key elements intact as well as figuring out which chemical components would mix well with the substances I was working with wasn't easy. Achieving a positive reaction took a few attempts and many, many failed endeavors, but after a few experiments and a couple more physical analyses, I realized that I was quickly approaching a scientific breakthrough."

"Uhh, Donnie? In English would be greatly appreciated," Leo suggested, his head beginning to hurt trying to keep up with his brainiac brother and his colorful string of vocabulary.

"Guys. Sensei. April…" Don looked down at his T-phone, unable to contain the news any longer as he flashed everyone a bright, proud smile. "I … I think I've done it. I found a cure."

"_What_!?" His brothers all chorused, the news hitting them all with such force that Mikey wound up slipping off the couch and landing on his head. Their expressions were all a mixture of shock and awe and even April was stunned to silence. At least, that's what Donnie figured since all he heard from the other line was a short intake of breath followed by steady silence. Then again, he could hardly hear anything from the energized chatter emanating from his brothers until Leonardo rose from the couch and spoke over the prattling.

"Wait a minute, so the retro-mutagen—"

"—is in a canister right inside my lab." Don had finished. "I just have to transmit it into two small vials and we can start the restoration process as soon as possible."

_"Oh, Donnie, that's wonderful!" _April beamed, her voice shaken with contained excitement. _"I can't wait to finally have my dad be normal again! This is great!"_

A small swell of bliss filled Don's heart and he could already feel his cheeks stain a bright pink at April's happiness. After all, this whole mess was his and his brothers' doing and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed that he had found a way to fix it and make things right for April and her family again. That's all he strived for was her happiness and now that he could hear it sprinkled over her elated words of enthusiasm, he couldn't help but feel as though he were walking on Cloud 9.

_"So when should I go over? Should I end my studying period a little early?" _April asked through the other line, her voice raised to a higher octave than normal due to her sporadic enthusiasm.

Before Donnie could open his mouth to answer, Master Splinter was already sauntering towards him in a quiet huff. Golden eyes mixed with a sentiment the brainiac turtle couldn't quite decipher, the wizened rat gazed down at his T-phone before looking over at his son with composure, whiskers twitching just a tad as he stroked his long, thin beard.

"I trust there is much preparation to be done before any action takes place, am I right, my son?" Master Splinter asked, resting both hands on top of his cane while Donatello glanced behind his shoulder in the direction of where his lab was located.

"Uhm, well it's a delicate process, yes, but it shouldn't take no more than—"

"It is late, Donatello," Master Splinter interrupted, making Donnie flinch just a tad before his father continued to speak with nonchalance. "April has her own duties to fulfill at the moment as do you. This is a delicate procedure that cannot be met with any mishaps or catastrophe. After all, you do not want to upset April any more than you have in the past, neither do you want to jeopardize Timothy's life as well. You must make sure that everything is intact."

Don listened carefully to his sensei's words before gazing back down at his phone in silence. Clutching it tightly, he realized that he really didn't want to lose April all over again because of something that could've easily been prevented. He had come this far already. No way in hell was he turning back.

"_Hai_, sensei." He bowed respectfully, his father nodding in approval while Donnie scheduled a meeting time with April for tomorrow morning to begin the procedure. Agreeing on the time, she thanked him a thousand times over before finally hanging up the phone, leaving the purple-banded ninja practically floating at April's gratitude until Mikey came rushing toward him with his baby blue eyes beaming.

"Dude, I can_not _believe this! Do you have any idea what your discovery can mean for the five of us?" He asked with heightened excitement, receiving a rather quizzical look from Don as he hooked his T-phone back onto his belt. When the orange-banded ninja was met with silence, he practically dug his fingers into the skin of his older brother's shoulders, giving him a good shake that nearly rattled Donnie's brain and made the room appear as though it were spinning.

"_Hello_! If you can turn mutants back into humans, what's stopping you from turning _us _into humans as well? I mean, think about it! We can totally blend in without having to always go topside at night! We can make friends and we won't have to hide in the sewers anymore. We'll actually be _normal_. _Splinter _will be normal!"

Ears perked at the mention of his name, Master Splinter turned around and gazed at each one of his sons, his eyes landing on the eager smile tugging at Mikey's lips. Whiskers twitching and ears lowered down just a tad, Master Splinter walked toward his boys with indifference and a low grunt, his tail swishing against the cold concrete floorboard.

"My son, while I admire your consideration and eager heart, what I am now has left me with little grievance. Whether I walk the streets a man or not, I as a person carry many burdens that will surely bring danger to both myself and my family. Remaining what I am – a rat hidden within the depths of the sewers – is the life I was given and the life I will live until my final days."

"But Master Splinter—"

He held up claw, shushing the orange-banded turtle before turning back and heading to his quarters. "I do not wish to discuss this any longer, Michelangelo. My word is final. I hope with a heavy heart that you four will see things in my perspective."

Silence enveloped the entire living room, save for the muffled pings coming from the ping-pong machine set to the side. As they watched their sensei retreat back to his room, the four brothers all looked at each other with disbelief, Raph being the first to break the silence by shoving Mikey hard enough to nearly knock him down to the ground.

"Nice going, Mikey. See what you did," the red-banded turtle growled, watching as his youngest brother rubbed the area of his shoulder that had connected with Raph's forceful hand.

"Lay off, Raph," Leo warned. "Mikey was just a little excited. You can't be mad at him for that."

Don took a step toward his younger brother and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, looking down at him with careful eyes before he gave his shoulders a light shrug. "I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, Mikey, but the effects wouldn't have worked on _us_ anyway. Master Splinter, yes, because he was once human before his pre-mutated state. Us, we were just four infant turtles. If we were to use the retro-mutagen on ourselves, it'd be back to the pet store for us, buddy."

"Oh." Mikey's shoulders sagged in defeat; his head drooped down as he uttered not even a single word afterwards.

Michelangelo was usually always the cheery one out of the four of them, so seeing him looking so dejected was always something his brothers were never used to. It was like watching a little kid go through depression. His mood effected the entire vicinity he was around and his brothers couldn't help but give each other pressing looks, as if silently pushing the other to say something that would lift their baby brother's mood in an instant.

Don was the first to come up with something as he rested a hand on the top of Mikey's shell and gave it a good pat. "Uhm, there there, Mike. Uhh, you know, given how the mutation process works, I _might_ be able to get the opposite effect if I tweak with it a little bit." He looked down at his baby brother, checking to see if his words were being heard before he continued on to speak, the wheels actually turning in his brain as he thought more about how exactly the effects of the retro-mutagen worked. To be honest, if he did a few tests, the possibilities of a reverse reaction could actually become a distinct reality. Anything was possible, right? So maybe if he worked out a few kinks and tested a few samples … yes. Yes, maybe there a possibility!

"Of course!" Don exclaimed, taking a step back from Mikey while going over the process in his head. "The mutagen turns you into a hybrid of the last thing you come in contact with, embedding you with its traits and structural DNA. If I can _reverse _the process … yes, then I should theoretically be able to take it _further_ as well, letting those traits become dominant and make the transformation total. Holy shit, this could actually work! Mikey, you're a _genius_!"

"He is?" Raph asked with a raise of his eye ridge, watching as Mike immediately straightened himself up before leaning over his shoulder in a casual fashion.

"And you always had your doubts," he chuckled in light ridicule, immediately swooping out of the way the second Raph reached over to punch him in the arm.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Leo shook his head to compose his thoughts, looking up at Donnie with uncertainty swimming in his eyes. "So you're saying this could actually work? You can really turn us human?"

"Then we can go topside whenever we want!" Mikey exclaimed. "And we can go to school and Donnie might even have a better shot with April!"

The mere thought was enough to make the purple-banded ninja stop dead in his tracks and blush, his brother's words gradually sinking in as he thought about the qualities that would certainly be in his favor.

He had theorized a long time ago that the whole reason why April showed no interest in him was because of their divergent genetic make-up. That doubled with the fact that he was almost certain all four of his brothers were completely sterile _and_ that they would never be able to hold jobs or provide that white-picket-fence type of – it was enough to bring a guy down. Donnie was certain April wanted a family to call her own one day. A husband that would both physically and financially support her. And while Donatello would love and cherish and protect her with every fiber of his being until the day he took his final breath, he couldn't give April a house nor an array of beautiful children. He had much to offer but so little to give. All because of what he was….

But if he were human, he could _give _her all that stuff! He could go to college, get a job, _provide _for her and their loving family. Even if the transformation still rendered him sterile, they could always adopt. They would be the picture of a warm, inviting, loving family – just him, his wife, and beautiful children. Donatello could already start to picture it, the thought warming his heart and creating a powerful burst of jitters deep within his belly.

He _wanted _that lifestyle and all that stood between him and that beautiful, wonderful, perfect dream was sitting in his lab waiting to be analyzed.


	2. Up in Flames

**Author's Note: **What's up, readers? :D How's everyone doing? Well, I guess depending on wherever it is you are, you're all probably still asleep. I know I should've been asleep a good six hours ago. But, because of a little poll I put on Stealthy Stories, I asked the fabulous readers and authors on that site which story they would like for me to update first as a birthday present to YOU! Yep! Yesterday was my birthday, folks! :D And as a special birthday surprise, I decided to let the people on Stealthy Stories decide which story they wanted me to update on the day (or morning after) of my birthday. And lo and behold, this story got picked! :D

Now, I'm not going to lie, because I stayed up pretty much all night writing this chapter, there are some parts that go a little bit fast and seem kind of rushed. That's me running on grogginess, so please forgive me for that and I promise the other chapters won't be like that. I had a teensy bit of trouble with this chapter because I wasn't quite sure how to get it moving along, but I kinda like the turn out that happened. It's quick and to the point and we'll finally be getting to the action in the next chapter! (cackles evilly while rubbing her hands) Mwahahaha!

Ahem. Anyway, let's get on to the thank yous! Like I do with my other fics, I give personally thank yous to all the readers who reviewed for my story. Thank you so very, very much to **GirlzRule312**, **Neko****Shard**, **SleepingSeeker**, **BubblyShell22**, **k.** **alex c-well**, **Mewfem**, **MissCookiiie**, **All-things**, **TheIncredibleDancingBetty**, and **TheEquestrianidiot 2.0**. Thank you guys so much for the fabulous reviews and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. ;D

Also! I'd like to remind every to mosey on over to the new Stealthy Stories sites and read the rules and regulations for the 2013 Fan Fiction Competition! Start getting those nominations ready and give the site a little looksie while you're at it. You'll definitely meet some awesome authors there. :D

Now, without further adieu, here's Chapter 2 of 'Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen'!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 2**

**Up in Flames  
**

* * *

"Alright, what is the method for solving for a tangent?"

Casey Jones bowed his head and hummed in thought, his arms hanging precariously over the hockey stick lying perfectly transverse atop of his shoulders. His eyebrows knit together deliberately, the cogs in his head turning at full speed before his eyes lit up with confidence. Lips tugged in a lopsided smile, he lifted his arm farthest away from April and slammed it down hard on the handle of the hockey stick, watching it twirl in the air before he caught it in his hand and pointed it at no one in particular. "Opposite side over adjacent side."

"Correct." April smiled, laughing amusingly at the enthusiastic fist pump Casey shot through the air.

"Yeah, take that, trig! You just got slapshot by the infamous Casey Jones!" the ruffian crowed, twirling his hockey stick in a showoff manner before placing it atop of his shoulders once more for his arms to hang over.

April merely rolled her eyes at the mini celebratory shout out, brushing her bangs out of her eyes while hugging her trig book close to her chest. "You talk the talk, Jones, but can you walk the walk? Remember, you still have to retain all of this information for Monday's big test."

"We've been studying since Tuesday, Red. I think I can handle one of Vernon's tests now that I actually know what I'm doing. Thanks to my _amazing_ tutor." He bumped his hip lightly against April's, giving her a light, yet still rather supercilious smile while April simply scoffed with amusement and rolled her eyes.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Jones. Don't forget that you still owe me those few times you never showed up for our study sessions."

"Hey, I bought you pizza, didn't I? And that last time doesn't count 'cuz those freaky robot ninjas came and started picking a fight. Man, I wish you woulda been there, Red. Coolest friggin' thing in the universe!"

"Heh, yeah, r-right." She switched her attention to the laces of her shoes, digging through her brain for a topic that would veer the subject off of that crazy night Karai tried to kill her. That is, until the Kraang turned their killer robot against the psycho kunoichi and Donnie managed to come to her rescue just in the nick of time. It was a day she wanted completely strange-free, one where she didn't have to deal with robot ninja battles and having to call the guys to come to her aid. But even a simple lunch with Casey was too much to ask for in her little 'exciting' life of being the target to both an evil clan of ninjas and a mass race of aliens from another planet. Just once she thought she could get through the day scotch free. But of course that didn't happen. Not when she was friends with four mutant turtles and her dad was living life as a giant mutant hybrid bat.

_But not for much longer, _April thought with a smile, glancing over toward Casey when she realized he had still been rambling on about the infamous ninja battle forged between him and the persistent Footbots, going over the niceties of the fight in great detail while striking his hockey stick in various shots and hooks that any bystander would be impressed by. That's what she liked about the little goofball. He was always very enthusiastic when it came to his wording, making everything sound as though it were the most awesome thing in the universe. Then again, Casey had always told her how life should never be dull. Otherwise, what was the point of living? Not much to look forward to when life never threw anything exciting your way.

Oh, if only he knew.

"So what do you got planned for this weekend? Doing anything exciting, Red?" Casey asked, holding his hockey stick upward so that both of his hands were placed over the handle while he leaned all of his weight forward in a lackadaisical manner.

It took a while for April to answer back, mostly due to the fact that she had to fish for an excuse that would cover up the truth of spending tomorrow morning with the guys while Donnie went over the procedures to turn her dad back to normal. Throughout their entire moments studying together, not once did Casey ever ask about April's family or her personal life. Usually he was more interested in her hobbies and what she liked to do for fun. At the moment, she preferred it that way. Not like Casey needed to know about her personal life anyway. It wasn't like they were dating or anything. No, he was just some guy she was tutoring. That was all. But on the other hand, the paranoid side of her always wondered if he ever thought it strange that she never brought up her family or who her 'really close friends' were that one time he asked how come he never saw her hang out with anybody? Wasn't he curious? Or was he just too afraid to ask?

"Uhm, well, I'm probably going to be spending time with my dad this weekend. We might go visit some close friends he hasn't seen in a while. Nothing really all that exciting." She split her mouth in a rather awkward smile, one that showed too much teeth and looked almost painful to produce. Casey, however, didn't really catch the expression. Either that or he was just being too polite and pretending not to take notice for the sake of April's self-respect. Nonetheless, he straightened himself up from his leaning position and threw his hockey stick over his shoulder, a casual, almost warm smile grazing his lips before he tilted his head to the side, as if pondering in thought.

"Well, uhm, you know that new creepy zombie apocalypse movie just released its midnight showing the other night. Maybe, I dunno, if you and your old man got done visiting friends a little early, maybe you'd like to go … with me?"

April's eyes widened a fraction of inch, the functioning muscles in her body coming to a screeching halt as she processed the words that had just come out of Casey Jones's mouth. Did he just ask her out on a date? No. No, of course not! They were just friends. Still getting to know each other. He wasn't asking her out, he was probably just wondering if she wanted to hang out for the day after the whole study session they just got done with. Yeah. That was probably it. Right?

When she saw that the light smile on Casey's face slowly began to fade into a dejected frown, April immediately opened her mouth to voice her answer, but found herself only sputtering a string of incoherent nonsense. Quelling her thoughts, she took in a relaxing breath, just as Splinter had taught her during their meditative exercises and looked up at Casey, an eager smile playing at her lips as she brushed the bangs that hung over her bright green eyes.

"I-I would love to go, Casey. Thanks. B-But, uhm, y-you know, it all depends on when my dad decides to come home, you know?"

"R-Right. Gotcha," Casey sputtered rather nervously, shoving his free hand in his pocket and taking a step back, feeling as though he needed to something with his feet or hands rather than just stand there awkwardly.

"But, uhm, I-I'll definitely text you and let you know. You know, if it's not too late in the day or evening, I guess."

"Yeah, yeah. Cool. Alright. Sounds like a plan." He smiled brightly, holding a thumbs up while taking a few steps backward, already on his way back home. "So, uhm, I-I'll just wait for your text, okay? Tomorrow night, whenever you're free, sound good?"

"Sounds great!" April smiled, already making her way up the steps of her stoop while watching Casey backpedal down the sidewalk. "I'll text you tomorrow. Good night, Case!"

"Night, Red!" Casey called over, finally turning around only to walk into the bus sign right in front of him, taking a step back and rubbing his nose profusely.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure April hadn't witnessed that discomfited mishap. However, much to his chagrin, the competitive ice hockey champ noticed that she was covering her mouth while her shoulders shook, a sheer indication that she was laughing while trying to keep it discrete – obviously not doing a very good job of it.

Cheeks flushing a dusty pink, Casey Jones shoved his free hand precariously inside his pocket and took long, quick strides, trying his best to shrug it off while he turned the corner and disappeared from April's view.

* * *

Donatello snorted himself awake when he realized he was beginning to nod off again, his vision an indistinct blur as he rubbed the sleepiness out of his tired eyes. Glancing over at the digital clock on his desk, he noticed that the thick red numbers indicated that it was almost seven in the morning, his head a dense fog swirled with the delirium that he had stayed up all night.

Ever since Mikey had implanted the idea of creating an anti-retro mutagen for him and his brothers, the drive and influential motivation had persuaded him to work throughout the wee hours of the night, keeping the purple-banded turtle awake while he tried going over the components and chemical compounds that made up the mutagen's properties. It was a project he knew right away wasn't going to get done over night, the structure of the mutagen's assets too complicated to be compiled and comprehended without having to go over a few tests. He knew the possibilities were there, it was just going to take him a while to find them, going over the way the mutagen's chemical components reacted to different substances and weeding out the ones that worked and the ones that got a negative reaction. After all, if he was going to do this right, he needed every aspect to go perfectly, or else he could kill both himself and his brothers all because of something he overlooked or missed. Fate had given him a chance to be with April as an individual of her own species. He wasn't going to mess that up over something that was disregarded.

No. He was going to do things right. Even if it took him as long as it did to find the retro-mutagen cure.

A soft knock of the door fell on deaf ears as Don went over the notes he had scribbled on his notepad during his first couple of experiments. When he didn't answer whoever was behind the door, the person took that as an invitation to come in anyway and hopped through the entrance with a plate of piping hot pancakes all stacked in a small tower that oozed sticky, sweet syrup.

"Mornin', Donnie! Thought you might be a little hungry. A growing turtle does need his breakfast." Mikey chirruped happily, holding the plate as though it were his greatest creation while waiting for Don to turn around and accept his gastronomic work of art. When the purple-banded ninja didn't make any attempt at moving, Mikey's shoulders sagged in light distress before they immediately perked up and he set the plate on the nearest table, sauntering over to where his brother was sitting and glancing over his shoulder to see what it was he was working on.

"You still trying to find a solution that'll turn us temporarily human?" he asked, resting his elbow on top of the desk before nearly knocking a beaker clear off the table.

Donatello shot a stern glare at his baby brother, turning his attention back to the microscope he had set up to get a better, enhanced view of the cells generating throughout the configuration of the mutagen. Switching the objective lens to scanning power, he examined the slide while adjusting the fine focus, letting out a soft sigh that caught Michelangelo's attention.

"Something this complicated is going to take a while to figure out, Mikey. If it took me a while to find a cure that'll turn Mr. O'Neil and Timothy back to normal, then it's going to take me a while to find a way for the mutagen to reverse our transmuted state without it harming us or completely backfiring. It's a delicate procedure that should be handled with the utmost care."

The orange-banded ninja glanced over his shoulder to see that tubular that had been housing Mutagen Man since he escaped from their lair and went out on a rampage trying to find April. With his beady, disproportioned eyes, the green glob of organs and a mouth stared blankly at Michelangelo, reaching out with his suction-like lips as if trying to press it up against the youngest turtle's plastron.

Feeling his sadness, Mikey touched his hand against the glass and turned back toward his brother, his baby blue eyes sad and almost pleading. "How come you haven't gone through the whole transformation process with Mutagen Man yet? I mean, he's right here. It's not like Mr. O'Neil where you gotta wait until April stops by so we can follow her to her apartment."

"Mutagen is a dangerous matter to be tinkering with, Mike. Even though I found a cure, there're still procedures I have to go through to make sure the transformation goes as smoothly as possible. We don't want any mishaps or accidents happening to either Timothy or Mr. O'Neil."

"Well don't you think you should start doing that now?" Mikey asked, turning his attention back to Mutagen Man with sad eyes. "I mean, you were so confident in finding this cure so that Timothy could get his life back. Don't you think he's gone through enough waiting?"

With a sigh, Don pulled himself away from his microscope and pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing his index finger and thumb in a small circle around both his eyes. "You're right, Mikey. Timothy deserves to have things go back to normal for him. I promised him that much. Finding a way to turn us human can be put on hold for the time being. Right now, it's not about us."

"Can I help?" Mikey asked eagerly, his eyes shining bright with excitement while Donnie simply looked down at him with tired eyes, unsure of how to go about this situation. After all, it wasn't the first time Mikey had offered to help him with an experiment. In fact, he was in the lab almost as often as he was because his curiosity normally got the better of him. He liked being his special little helper whenever Don had the patience to allow him to be. However, mutagen was a substance that required delicate care and handling, something he didn't quite trust Mikey with yet due to his sporadic behavior and rather short attention span.

"Uhm, how 'bout you supervise me while I get everything ready, alright?" he asked while patting Mikey on the shell, receiving a rather annoyed look coming from his orange-banded brother.

"Ah, c'mon, Don. I'll be really careful, I promise," Mikey pleaded with saddened eyes, glancing over his brother's shoulder before an idea sparked through his head and he took off toward his desk in a mad dash. "Look, I'll even help by putting your other stuff away. Where does this microscope go?"

"Mikey, watch out for that cord that's right next to the—"

But it was too late. Like watching a train wreck in slow motion, Michelangelo had noticed the cord right as his foot hooked underneath it, pulling it with him and yanking it forcefully out of its outlet, causing the plug to slam hard against the floor and knock over a series of beakers. Tilting over the edge, the beakers crashed against the floor and shattered into a series of broken pieces, scattering all over the floor in all different directions. With horrified recognition, Donnie quickly noticed that one of the beakers was full, splattering an unknown liquid substance that leaked far too close to the cords and electrical wires all hooked up to his desktop computer. Before he could run over to push his desk as far away from the substance as possible, it was already too late, the electric currents running through the wires and cords coming in contact with the liquid, igniting a few sparks and flickers until a string of fire erupted right before the two brothers' eyes.

"Oh snap! Oh, man! Donnie! Fire extinguisher!" Mikey cried in a panic, picking himself up while searching the walls of the lab for any source of a fire extinguisher.

"I-It's not here! We took it to the kitchen last time we tried to make breakfast!" Donnie panicked, rummaging through the cluttered tables in his lab for any old towels or washcloths he kept handy for those messy spills. To no avail, he found none while Mikey still stood before the fire in terror, getting down on his hands and knees and blowing on the un-extinguishable flames, only to realize that blowing on them only fed the growing flames.

Screeching with petrified terror, Donnie quickly rushed out of his lab to grab the fire extinguisher, knocking into a nearby table and hearing something toppling over, the clamorous sound of breaking glass reverberating through his eardrums.

Turning around with eyes as wide as dinner plates, Don noticed that whatever he had knocked over was now splattered all across the floor, globs of a thick, gooey substance that was not only all over the floor, but sprayed all across Mikey's plastron and his hands and legs, the orange-banded turtle taken-aback with eminent horror streaked all across his face.

"Ack! Oh, man! Oh … D-Donnie! What the heck is this stuff!?" He cried in terror, rubbing and smearing the foreign goo off his arms, only making it worse by spreading it further and allowing it to scrub and seep into his skin.

"Mikey, stop! You're only going to make it worse," Donnie pointed out, the smoke of the angry flames filtering through the confinements of his lab, making his eyes water and his mouth grow dry.

Becoming aware of his impending surroundings, Donatello realized that the flames had started to grow at an alarming rate, the searing fire licking and clawing its way through the scattered papers and series of equipment all strewn across his lab, growing in size and becoming stronger; powerful.

Covering his hand with his mouth, Donnie quickly reached out with his free hand to grab hold of Mikey, shoving the contents of the mystery liquid coating his brother's body in the back of his mind to be pondered at later. Right now, his main objective was getting out of his lab before they were both encased in flames, a situation he was not about to let happen to him or his baby brother.

Thinking fast, Donnie immediately untied the tails of his bandana and did the same to Mike's, bunching them up and showing his younger brother to place them over his mouth. Nodding at his brother's instructions, Mikey quickly put the bunched up mask over his mouth and squeezed onto Don's hand as tightly as he could, the purple-banded ninja returning the favor before he squinted past the smoke and fire, trying to see the exit that lead out of his lab.

_"Donnie! Mikey! Can you hear me?"_

_ Leo? _Donnie thought, his eyes widening as he tried to listen for the voice again, his legs moving careful step by careful step forward until one of his large filing cabinets came crashing down, nearly knocking Donatello in the head had he not backed up in time.

_"Donatello! Michelangelo!"_

"We hear you, Leo!" Don cried out, immediately choking on the harsh smoke as he shoved the bandana back across his mouth, his eyes watery and his vision blurred.

_"Just follow the sound of my voice!" _Leo instructed, continuously talking while Donnie and Mike followed their brother's words, weaving through the fallen debris and most of the equipment that had been engulfed by the hungry flames.

While it wasn't a long journey out of Donatello's lab into the living room, being surrounded by smoke and fire made it seem as though the expedition were miles long, the flames making it all the more impossible to see where they were going. Listening closely to Leo's voice, the two seemed to get out of their without any problems following suit, the sight of their two older brothers' hands reaching into the lab to pull them into the safety zone of the living room.

Coughing horrifically, Donnie and Mike leaned forward on their knees and sucked in mouthfuls of air, the flames burning temperatures radiating on the backs of their shells before Master Splinter walked up with the fire extinguisher in hand, already turning the handle and dousing the flames as best as he could.

With a comforting hand places on both of their shoulders, Leonardo searched his brother's watery eyes to make sure that they were alright, pulling his hand back when he noticed the sticky goo that coated Mikey's body and parts of Don's arm was now coated on his own palm and fingers. Looking down at the substance, he looked back up at his brothers; waiting for them to compose themselves before he asked what it was that was all over their bodies. Not even thinking of it, Raph checked his own hands and realized that when he had pulled Donnie and Mikey out of the fire that the goo had gotten on him as well, making him grimace with a look of disgust.

"Guys, what the hell is this stuff?" Raph asked, twiddling his fingers and noticing the nasty goo was starting to spread more across his fingers.

"Don't know," Don coughed, wiping the little bits of spittle that hung from his lip, staring at the translucent blue substance that coated different parts of their bodies in varying degrees.

"Y-You don't think it's … mutagen, do you?" Mikey asked with horror-struck terror, causing his brothers' eyes to widen until Donatello glanced down at his arm and shook his head profusely.

"N-No. I-It can't—"

"My sons, look out!"

_BOOM! _A roaring explosion. A propulsion so strong it sent the four turtles and Master Splinter sailing into the living room, knocking them clear off their feet as the engulfing smoke spread from the lab straight through the Lair, the flames flickering calming and dying down from the enforcement of the explosion.

Ears ringing and head pounding, Master Splinter carefully lifted up his head and groaned miserably, the sheer intensity of whatever had erupted from Donatello's lab radiating straight from his head to his toes, the white hot flames of searing pain shooting across every vein, every ligament inside his aging body. He looked out into the living room, noticing that the television had shattered from the massive explosion, pillows scattered and trash his boys seemed to spread and leave on the floor all distributed in various places. Blinking away the blurriness in his vision, he tried to scout out his sons to make sure they were all right, but the pain that radiated throughout his body was too much to bear and he found himself unable to even move an inch, his head lolling to the side as he took in short, quick breaths.

"M-My sons," Master Splinter moaned, reaching out a hand only to have it fall against the floor, the fogginess in his head only growing thicker as his eyes drifted shut, the darkness taking him away and pulling him into the confinements of his subconscious.


	3. My Sons?

**Author's Note: **Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! :D Hope you all have amazing plans with family and friends or even have a great time curling up on the couch and enjoying the game. Whatever it is you do on Super Bowl Sunday, The Nerdfighter wishes you a great time. :) I know I'm gonna be stuffing my face with buffalo wings and delicious, savory ribs my grandpa has cooking on the grill right now. Mmmm, I can't wait. And spending time with my family is always fun. I'm so glad I don't have school or work to worry about pulling me away from these cherished moments.

Alright! Now before I get on with this chapter, I want to wish everyone a big, giant thank you for reviewing for my story! Thank you so, SO much: **TheEquestrianidiot 2.0**, **Novus Ordo Seclorum**, **fredgeorge forever2011**, **purpleninja1399**, **MissCookiiie**,** Mewfem**, **BubblyShell22**, **k. alex c-well**, **GirlzRule312**, **SleepingSeeker**, **aria**, and **All-things**. Holy cow, there was a lot of ya! But I'm not complaining! ;D It really warms my heart knowing that I'm doing something right with this story and reading a new review always puts a big smile on my face. You guys rock!

Alright, so without further adieu, let's get on with the story. And don't forget to check out the new Stealthy Stories website and read the rules and regulations for the 2013 Fan Fiction Competition. It's coming soon, guys! So make sure you have all those nominations put together and thought out. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and have a fantastic Super Bowl Sunday! ;D

Enjoy the fic!

**WARNING! ****MENTIONS OF NUDITY! **

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 3**

**My Sons?**

* * *

Donatello felt like he had been hit by a bus.

Eyes flitting open to reveal a hazy, white blur, the purple-banded turtle blinked his foggy vision back into focus, a low, guttural moan passing through his lips before he rolled over onto his carapace. Oh man, did he felt like shit. Like he had literally run into the street and just stood there like an idiot waiting for a bus to come by and run his ass over; his limbs tender and increasingly heavy. Would he be so stupid as to try something like that? He highly doubted it. So why on earth did he feel like someone bashed him repeatedly with a sack full of bricks?

Something didn't feel right.

Eyes narrowed perplexedly and shifting back and forth, Donatello realized that he was lying perfectly angular to the ground set beneath him. There was no elevation where his shell met the floor and it all felt rather foreign and strange. Was this why he was feeling so much pain?

Lifting himself up with aching, shaky limbs, Donnie didn't catch anything out of the ordinary until he caught sight of the lower half of his body. His legs were propped up and bent at an angle. But they weren't _his _legs. In fact, _none _of what he was looking at was his! Smooth, creamy alabaster skin. White and flawless without a trace of hair. That is, until his eyes trailed over the area between his legs, a small tuft of curly brown strands covering an area that immediately stained his cheeks a bright, crimson red.

Did he…? Was that a…? Was _he _a … a….

"_DONNIE_! _DONNIEDONNIEDONNIEDONNIEDONNIE_!"

The purple-banded ninja whipped his head in the direction of the screaming, his eye mask tilted and hanging over the tip of his nose. Tugging on the piece of fabric, he pulled his hand back and examined the long, slender fingers, five for each hand and much smaller than his three-fingered turtle hands.

What the hell was happening? What the _fuck _happened to him last night?!

"Oh God. Oh man. Oh geez." He panicked, his breaths coming out in short, quickened puffs that he tried to no avail settle down or ease. "This is all a dream. I'm dreaming right now. Yep. _Totally _dreaming. This isn't happening. None of this is happening, alright, Donnie? This is all just one completely horrifying, super creeptastic, freaky…"

And just like that, the words were completely stripped from his mouth, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he stared up at a very frightened, very _naked _short blonde girl with striking blue eyes.

If Donatello wasn't blushing before he sure as hell was blushing now.

"D-Dude … D-Donnie?" The blonde girl stuttered, her lower lip quivering as she raised a shaky, very tiny finger in Don's direction. "I-Is that … is t-that you, bro?"

"_Mikey_?" Donnie's eyes widened, crawling up to his feet without so much as breaking eye contact with slender, tiny, short-haired blonde girl.

She was rather petite and had a smooth, rich complexion – save for the flecks of tiny speckled freckles sprinkled all across her rosy cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her hair was short and layered into choppy wisps, the color a miraculous shade of pure, glistening gold. The eyes, however, are what gave it away as Don stared intently in those pools of liquid innocence; translucent and blue like an ocean preserved for many, many years.

This wasn't happening. This. Wasn't. _Happening_.

"I … I don't understand! How could this have _happened_?"

"How come we're naked? Where are our clothes?" Mikey asked, surveying his body and even going as bold as to touch his skin, smooth and distinguished like refined silk.

"Uhm, _hello_. We're turtles, Mikey. When have we ever worn clothes?"

The orange-banded ninja looked up at his brother with big, almost doe-like eyes, his fingers grazing over the dip of his hipbone before he quirked up his eyebrow in blatant confusion. "And how come your hair is brown and I'm blonde? You think we'd have roughly the same hair color."

"I don't know, Mike, _okay_!" Don practically shouted at his brother, pacing back and forth with his hands gripping both sides of his head only to draw them back when he noticed he had touched something soft.

Fingers laced in strands of silky, chocolate brown hair, Donatello realized Mikey was right and he quickly began to spiral back into panic mode. His breaths were coming out in rapid spouts of hyperventilation, limbs shaking and his eyes flicking back and forth. Oh, God what was he going to do? This didn't make any sense! How in the world did he and Mikey transform into teenage human _females_!? Were Leo and Raph affected as well? What about their sensei?

_Sensei?_

"Master Splinter!" Donatello shouted, immediately rushing toward his sensei who was still passed out on the floor just outside his lab.

His _lab_. Yes, it was all starting to come together again. The accident. The fire. The explosion. The mutagen.

…The _mutagen_. Yes, it all started to make sense. The mutagen! That must've been the main factor that turned him and his brother human. But why did it reverse the sexual characteristics? He had been tampering with it a little to achieve the desired effects to turn them all into human _males_ so what could've gone wrong? Was it because he hadn't worked out all the kinks yet? Was it because it was retro-mutagen?

Oh, crap! The retro-mutagen! The key to turning Kirby O'Neil back into his human state—the key to giving April a normal life with her father once again. It was gone. _Everything _in his lab had been destroyed. Wiped out. Broken and rendered useless, never to be used ever again. And what about Timothy? The Pulverizer. He was still stuck in the lab during the result of the fire and Donnie couldn't even remember to get him out of their and save him. He was gone. Everything that had been stored in that laboratory was gone.

He felt sick; a churning mass of discomfort and anxiety all swiveled together deep within Donatello's stomach. He wanted to hurl. Wanted to curl up in a ball and just close himself off from the world. How was he going to face April? How was he going to explain _this_? This new body of skin and hair and girlishly long nails. First him and April weren't even of the same species. Now she had an entirely new incentive to avoid going out with him. He was a _girl_. With long hair, soft skin, and … and….

Eyes trailing south, Donnie felt his cheek flame at an alarmingly hot temperature as he stared at the two, plushy mounds of his soft, subtle breasts. Because it was always so cold down in the sewers, it didn't take long for the nipples to become stiff and harden, the darkened area around the nipple tightening and making his breasts more prominent. He immediately felt as though he were going to die from embarrassment, reaching over to cover the distinctively small breasts only to fall back short and blush even harder. He'd never touched female breasts before and even though they were technically _his _he still felt wrong for doing so.

This wasn't happening. All of this seriously _was not happening_.

The sound of a groan quickly snapped Donnie right out of his thoughts. Hovering over the wizened rat with Mikey kneeling next to him, they watched as their father cautiously stirred himself awake, reaching a hand to place firmly on his head. His eyes wound shut as he tried to quell the horrendous pounding.

"_Itai_. My head…" He moaned miserably, rubbing the soreness at the side of his temple.

Acting quickly, Donnie immediately clamped his hands over Mikey's mouth, preventing him from speaking as he tried addressing the matter as carefully as possible. After all, it wasn't every day a father got to wake up to two daughters when in reality he actually had two sons. He had to approach this situation carefully.

"Uhm, M-Master Splinter?" He placed a gentle hand on his father's shoulder, fingers twitching just in case he had to retract when his sensei sensed the unfamiliarity. "I-It's me, Dona—"

"_DONNIE_! _WHAT_!_ THE_! _FUCK_!"

Head whipping back in the direction closest toward the hallway, both Donnie and Mikey watched with widened eyes as they saw two other girls come rushing into the living, fear prominent on their light-skinned faces. Like he and his brother, what Donnie had presumed to be Leo and Raph were also stripped of any clothing, their belts hanging precariously from their slender waists and curvaceous hips. With their eye masks dangling from around their necks, it was easy to tell which one was Leo and which one was Raph, Leo adorning very long, sleek black hair and Raph sporting a short mass of deep auburn tresses that framed his face. Neither looked very happy with their new appearances and Raph wasted absolutely no time in rushing toward his purple-banded brother, yanking him from his eye mask and nearly choking the confused brainiac.

"What the _fuck _did you do to us!?" He growled with venom lining his words. Not only were their physical appearances transformed to look more feminine, but from what Donnie could hear just by the way they talked, their voices had changed as well; the growl in Raphael's voice raised to a higher pitch that diminished the effect of his gruff, edgy undertone.

Rising to his feet, Master Splinter steadied himself on his cane before placing a hand atop of his head, shaking it carefully while trying to compose his thoughts. His head was angled downward, eyes wound shut to help him think and also to prevent him from being exposed to his very underdressed sons. This was all so new. So unexpected and strange. What on earth transpired that caused such an occurrence to happen?

"Donatello, my son," Master Splinter started, opening his eyes but not daring to look up at his intelligent son. "What happened?"

"The mutagen," Donnie explained, his eyes flicking toward his charred, smoky lab. "I knocked over a canister I had been examining last night and it got all over both Mikey and I. And when we were pulled to safety—"

"It got on both Raph and I as well," Leo interrupted, the wheels in his head starting to turn as he stared down at his hands, both fascinated and horrified at the extra-added appendages.

"So what's going to happen to us?" Mikey squeaked apprehensively, his baby blue eyes wide and fearful. "Are we going to stay like this forever?"

"You can find a cure, can't you, Donnie?" Raph asked rather quickly, grabbing hold of his brother's bare shoulders and giving his body a forceful shake. "_Please _tell me you can find a cure to fix, _this_." He released his shoulders and brought his hands down, implicating his newfound feminine features that made Donatello turn away and blush profusely.

"I-I don't know, Raph. In case you've forgotten, everything in my lab was destroyed due to that explosion. All my tools, equipment, chemicals, _everything_. It's all gone."

"No." His eyes grew wide, grasping onto his head and shaking it in panic. "No, no, _nononononononono_. This can't be happening. This is _not _happening right now! I'm a _guy_. I'm a _guy_, Donnie! Guys don't have tits and a _vagina_!"

"Calm down, Raphael," Leo urged, placing a comforting hand on his terrifyingly anxious brother before flicking his eyes in Donnie's direction. "Donnie, are you sure everything got destroyed in your lab?"

"I-I haven't checked." He licked his lips and glanced over his shoulder, the smokiness coming from his lab starting to diminish. "But even if some things were salvaged from the fire, we have no mutagen, Leo. The canister that fell and transformed us into … _girls_ was the retro-mutagen I made to transform April's dad back into a human."

"But I thought you said perfected it?" Leo pointed out. "You said you worked out all the components."

"Mutagen is extremely tricky and highly unstable," Donnie explained, feeling a hand drape over his shoulder to grab his attention. Standing next to him was Master Splinter, handing him a warm, fleece blanket to cover up his naked form so that they could all look each other without heating up in embarrassment. Nodding his head, he accepted the blanket, wrapping it around his lithe frame while continuing to speak. "I was looking over the compounds of the retro-mutagen the other night to see if I could reverse the effects so that it could transform us into humans. But because I hadn't found an effective reaction, I left it at that and that's when the fire started."

"So what are we going to do about April's dad?" Mikey asked, draping the blanket over his body. "She's expecting us to bring her the retro-mutagen to turn Mr. O'Neil back to normal."

"Well that should go over nicely," Raphael retorted, curling himself within the confines of his blanket. "'Hey, April. Sorry we don't have the mutagen we promised to bring over, but do mind if we borrow a couple of your bras and panties?'."

"Alright, knock it off, Raph," Leo ordered, wrapping the blanket around his body before looking at all three of his brothers. "Either way, we're going to have to confront April and explain to her what happened. We can figure out what we're going to do afterwards once we get everything cleared out and settled."

"So what, we just mosey on over covered in blankets and our birthday suits?" Raph asked, tightening the hold of his blanket around his body to make sure everything was covered.

"Do you think April will let us borrow some of her clothes?" Mikey asked a little too eagerly, his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

Raphael snorted, flicking his eyes in the direction of Donnie while his lips split into a rather amused grin. "There ya go, Don. Who woulda thought all you had to do was turn yourself into a girl to get into April's pants."

"Shut up."


	4. Do You Have This in Orange?

**Author's Note: **Hello, hello, hello, readers! :D Welcome to Chapter 4 of "Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"!

Whelp, the fact that I was able to post this chapter a few days early shows that my classes are going pretty well. :) Haven't hit that part in the semester yet where I'm swamped with a crap-ton of work and barely have any time for myself. Hopefully that moment doesn't come because I really do like updating for my stories, especially this one. :) You guys have been AWESOME letting me know what you think of this story and it really puts a smile on my face every time I get a new review for this story. Makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside. XD lmao

Alright, now before I get on with this chapter, I'd like to do my daily routine by giving my thanks to all the awesome readers that reviewed for this story. Thank you very, very, VERY much: **NekoShard**, **M****issCookiiie **(who is constantly making me blush with her joyous love over this story lol), **AsiraK-KarisA **(really glad you gave this story a chance and love it so far :D), **TheEquestrianIdiot 2.0** (you've got some kick-ass ideas, dude. Can't wait to see them in action!), **Mewfem**, **tmntforever**, **SleepingSeeker**, and **Novus Ordo S****eclorum **(also loving some of the ideas you have, man. I'll be sure to put them somewhere in this story so keep a look out ;D). You guys are all truly amazing and I can't thank you enough for the wonderful reviews. :)

Now, without further adieu, here's the next chapter to "Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen". And while you're at it, don't forget to head on over to the new Stealthy Stories site! The nomination period is still happening and won't close until February 19th, so get those ballots sent out! And if you're really, really nice, maybe send a ballot with one of my stories attached to it? lol Only stories written during 2013 can be eligible to enter and no M rated fics are allowed in this competition. Any other rules and regulations are posted on the Stealthy Stories website and remember, readers, you don't have to be an author to participate in the nominations. :D And while you're there, maybe stick around for a bit and chat with some of the coolest authors on that site. **SleepingSeeker**, **TheIncredibleDancingBetty**, **BubblyShell22**, **Novus Ordo Seclorum**, **AlexHamato**, and **RachelErica **are only a few of the many authors I see frequent that site. Stick around! We don't bite. :) It always puts a smile on our faces when we see new people. :)

Enjoy the fic!

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 4**

**Do You Have This in Orange?  
**

* * *

It had been a while since Master Splinter explored the bearings beyond what lay beneath the vacant sewer tunnels. Bright. Crowded. A suffocating aroma that burned his senses and made him want to retreat back into the tunnels where it was safe. Where he was hidden from society - a man no more.

While ninjas were trained in the art of adaptation - a practice he had bestowed upon his sons at a young age, teaching them how to familiarize themselves in a diverse situation - the wizened rat couldn't help but feel like an outcast shunned away to be forgotten. A reprobate forbidden to walk amongst such an ordinary multitude of standard commoners. An outsider.

The irreversible effects of the mutagen that had transformed both he and his family was a painful reminder. An embroidered scar stitched tight to conceal, but could never quell the dynamic realization that humans would never be able to accept them for what they were. To see past their differences and look for what was on the inside rather than focus on what made up their outer appearances. Master Splinter had been well aware of this fact since the day of his transformation, raising his sons in such a lifestyle that would withhold them from ever wanting to explore the surface. He had managed to keep them disinterested for a span of fifteen years, but over time, his sons grew inquisitive and had it not been for their unwarranted curiosity, they would not be in the predicament they found themselves facing right at this very moment.

"We're almost there, sensei. Just a few more blocks," Leonardo reassured him. He was falling behind a few steps in the wake of his brothers, making sure he was keeping up okay hurdling from rooftop to rooftop. While he admired his son's diligence, Master Splinter couldn't help but feel as though his honor had been bruised formidably, taking notice of the salvaged beakers and test tubes they all managed to carry with them as they trudged quickly to April's apartment.

Because of the explosion that had generated in Donatello's lab, there home had been reduced to shambles, making it unsafe and hazardous for both he and his sons to remain dormant. With this in mind, they gathered as many remaining materials as they could carry, informing April via text messaging that they were on their way to her apartment and should arrive at her window shortly. It was a simple task, but in the back of his mind, Master Splinter felt a twinge of guilt. Not informing Ms. O'Neil of his sons' sudden transformation seemed like a dishonorable approach. An unforeseen line of attack that would surely catch their human friend off guard. However, the wizened rat knew that this was something his sons had to deal with face-to-face and delaying the inevitable would surely invoke unnecessary consequences.

His son, Donatello, however, was not aware of this fact at all.

Standing on the creaky iron platform of April's fire escape, Donnie stared at the shuttered windows before turning abruptly and shaking his head. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to do this. Time to head back—_hggh_!"

He was yanked back forcefully by the scruff of his blanket. A pair of mossy green eyes glared back at him while Raph bore his teeth in a tightly ground snarl. "_You're_ the one who did this to us, genius so _you're _going to be the one to tell April what happened."

"I can't," Donnie whined in the high-pitched tone that had been altered by the effects of the mutagen. "What if we freak her out?"

"She's already accepted the fact that we're giant, walking, talking turtles. I doubt she's going to go running off screaming when she's sees four half naked girls," Raph pointed out harshly, the not so gentle breeze snapping back the ends of his blanket in a series of waves that mimicked the blackened sea. He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "Besides, it's nothing she hasn't seen already, right? If anything she'd freak out over Mikey's huge rack."

"Hey!" Mikey blushed profusely. He immediately tightened the blanket around his petite frame, his cheeks stained a bright crimson despite the rather frigid temperatures. "They're not that big. You're just jealous 'cuz you're flat as a board!"

"Why would I be jealous? You think I _want _to look any more like a chick than I already do? At least my hair is short and I can cover all this up with baggy clothes. What're you gonna do? Tuck those things under your armpits?"

"Raphael, that is enough." Master Splinter snapped, making Donnie flinch at the constant realization that they now had similar feminine qualities as April. It did not help in the slightest bit and Don could already feel his stomach churning in that oh-so familiar feeling of having to turn over and upchuck. He had no problem facing April when they first met, giving her time to take in his form before she relaxed and allowed her brain to accept what was standing in front of her. But this? This was all so new. New body, new voice, new _everything_! Where did he even begin? How did he explain that this was all just a horrible accident caused by the mutagen he created to turn _her father _back into the human he was? Would she be angry? Hurt? Disgusted at both him and his brothers for what they had done and what they have become? He didn't want to find out. Didn't want to go through the anguish and dejection that he already went through when Mr. O'Neil had first come in contact with the mutagen that had transformed him into a bat. He wanted to run. Wanted to curl up and hide until he felt an unfamiliar touch of gentle fingers drape over his shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts and grasping his attention.

Leo stared at him with stern, yet gentle doe-like eyes; eyes that still held their ocean blue pigment, yet looked far more softer. Gentle. Like the eyes of a mother who lived solely for the protection of her young. He nudged in the direction of April's window. "Just take a deep breath and get it over with, Donnie. The sooner you explain, the sooner we can focus on trying to find a way to change us back."

"Leonardo is right, my son," Master Splinter entailed. "A ninja remains focused on the task at hand and carries out his endeavors no matter how difficult or challenging the obstacle. You must clear your mind and trust that April will find your hardships simple to amend."

The purple-banded ninja looked at his father with worried, muddy brown eyes. Nerves wracking and limbs shaking, he slid his gaze back to the shuttered window him and his brothers stood in front of. His mouth felt dry, though he was still able to swallow the suffocating lump in his throat as he reached over to tap on April's window, each rap matching the stilled beating of his anxiously worried heart.

Time felt as though it had slowed to a crawl as Donnie and his family stood before the window and waited patiently. He could just make out the darkened silhouette that outlined April's body as she got up from her bed and walked casually toward the double balcony window. She reached for the shutters and in that moment Donnie felt his breath catch dangerously inside his throat, blocking the airway to his lungs and causing him to panic. He couldn't do this. What would April say? What would she do? Would she act differently around him now that he was a girl? He couldn't do this. He didn't _want _to do this, but before he could even put together a plan of escape, the blinds swished open and in that moment, everything slowed to a stifling standstill.

Her eyebrow quirked in utter confusion at the sight presented before her. The bewildered gesture was strong enough to make Donnie's shoulder tense up rigidly, his heart racing and slamming dangerously inside his chest. Straightening himself up to look a little more presentable - which wasn't easy seeing as he was standing on her fire escape with nothing but a blanket covering his naked body - he held up his hand and gave it a small, friendly wave while his lips quirked into a nervous, quivering smile.

"Uhm ... h-hi ... April," he stuttered miserably, the gentle winds brushing a few loose strands of his soft, almost wavy brown hair. Absentmindedly, he brushed the strands out of his eyes and tucked them securely behind his ear. It was an act that was so foreign and unnatural, yet he had seen April do it so many times whenever her deep, amber bangs hung precariously over her eyes; eyes that held a deep misconstruction of what her mind was trying to process.

"Donnie?" She spoke with uncertainty lining her words, her face awash with curiosity as she took a careful step toward the purple-banded ninja.

"Y-Yep, it's ... it's me." The words tripped over his tongue in a rather clumsy manner, his fingers interlocking with each other while he forced himself to continue looking straight into April's eyes.

"What ... what happened to you? To all of you? Why are you—"

"—It's a long story," Don interrupted her, his shoulders sinking before glancing behind him where his brothers stood. "We had a little accident with the mutagen and now the lair is in shambles and—"

"The lair? What happened to the lair?"

Raphael rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. The wind played joyfully with his short wisps of russet-toned hair, causing the red-banded ninja to shiver where he stood, glaring at the two. "Can we just take this conversation inside? If I stand here any longer my nipples are gonna tear through this blanket."

"That's what bras are for, dude," Mikey pointed out, his eyes lighting up with a sudden idea. "Maybe April will lend you one! April, got any spare bras we could borrow? Maybe some from Victoria's Secret? Their bras always look really nice."

"How would you know that?" Leo asked, completely knocked for six.

"Catalogs," Mikey chirruped. "Raph's always got a pile stored underneath his bed. I think he gets them from the messiest dumpsters he can find 'cuz the pages are always super sticky and—_hmmph_!"

"Say another word and I'll punch you so hard your boobs will knock you in the face," Raphael growled, his hands clasped over his baby brother's mouth before he crawled through April's window and inside her apartment.

Closing the shutters behind her with haste, she turned to face both Master Splinter and the ... _guys_, while she shook her head and tried to compose her thoughts. "Okay, so this all happened because of the mutagen?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Donatello nodded. He set down the salvaged beakers and chem. equipment him, his brothers, and his sensei had carried with them on their way to April's apartment. Aligning them neatly on the desk that held April's school books and homework, he gazed at the very few tools that managed to survive the fire, his shoulders sinking before turning his attention back to April. "Due to the explosion caused by accidental fire that destroyed our home, we were only able to save a few standardized pieces, but no mutagen. The vile that I had knocked over spread all over mine and Mikey's bodies and when Leo and Raph managed to pull us out of the burning laboratory, the substance got on them as well."

"And it transformed you, only in reverse effect," April pointed out, the cogs in her brain beginning to turn until her eyes widened in sudden realization. "So, the mutagen that you were going to use on my dad—"

"—Is what turned us into what we are right now," he droned almost miserably. His shoulders sank and his gaze focused on his bare, feminine feet, trying desperately to avoid April's gaze as best he could. He didn't want to see the dejection in her eyes; the anger that boiled inside her veins when she realized the cure he had found for her father had been wasted on both his brothers and himself. And for what purpose? To make them human? Well that would've been fine and dandy had it turned them into the correct gender. He was selfish to put his own needs before attending to April's wish. After all, it was their fault her dad had been mutated in the first place, now it was their fault that the cure he had found for him was wasted on such a useless transformation. He felt horrible. Sickened, even and he only wished he could take everything back just to see April smile at him for doing something right again.

"So what did you guys manage to save from the fire?" April asked. She walked toward her desk to examine all the equipment, catching Donnie off guard before he pointed out a few things he had set down.

"A few beakers and some notes. They're a little charred, but still decipherable. We also managed to save a Bunsen burner and some tongs and forceps. Here are a few micropipettes as well."

"What about any of your inventions? The Mutagen Scanner, was that salvaged?"

Don looked over the crowded desk and reached for the what was once an old Gameboy system with rotating whisks attached at the top. While it had a few blackened marks on the edges and the buttons, it still functioned to some degree, going as far as turning on and picking up a single. Even before it was torched in the fire, it still wasn't very reliable due to the magnetic currents interfering with the scanner's homing signal. However, with a few modifications, he should be able to get it to function properly. Maybe even implanting a viral firewall that would shield it against any incoming electromagnetic frequencies. Yes, that could work.

"How many canisters of mutagen did you say were still spread throughout the city?" Leo asked, snapping Donnie out of his thoughts.

"Uhm, about fifteen, give or take. Most of the canisters we retrieved were either used for experimentation or accidentally spilt on innocent bystanders and animals. As far as I'm concerned, the Kraang don't have any of the mutagen canisters they lost across the city, mostly due to the fact that we're always the ones who manage to grab hold of them before they're able to pinpoint their locations."

"So that's a good thing, right?" Raph asked, leaning against the wall closest to April's dresser. "At least if we go out looking for more canisters, we won't have setbacks with the Kraang."

"Only problem is how am I going to come up with an antidote with such limited equipment?" Don asked. "Most of the key instruments I used to create the retro-mutagen got destroyed in the fire. How am I going to come up with a cure now when we have such little equipment?"

"Maybe we can all find jobs?" Mikey suggested with a smile. "We're human now so at least we've got that going for us. Shouldn't be that hard to find work here in the big city."

"That'll take too long, Mikey," Leo interjected. "Besides, we have no idea how the mutagen will keep us in the state. We need to come up with a cure as soon as possible before something irreversible happens."

Raphael flicked his attention to his brainiac brother, hopefulness swimming in his sea green eyes. "Any chance this stuff'll just wear off and turn us back to normal after a couple of days?"

"After analyzing the effects of Mikey's monstrous zits, I highly doubt that," Donnie indicated. Raph only replied with a frustrated growl, cursing under his breath and running his fingers through his short, auburn hair. This couldn't be happening. What if they didn't find a cure in time? Would he be stuck in this body forever?

With April's room carrying an ambiance of silence, Michelangelo's eyes lit up as he hopped off of April's bed and voiced his idea. "What about her school? April, you have a science lab at your school, don't you? I'm sure they're bound to have some fancy sciency equipment that Donnie could use."

"Great plan, genius, but how do you propose we sneak inside?" Raph asked. "I'm pretty sure they got their fancy science equipment all bordered up so people can't steal it."

"Not only that but security is pretty tight after dark," April informed them.

Donnie shook his head solemnly, going over the equipment laid out on April's desk. "I don't have any tools that would help me disable the alarm system at her school, so even if we did manage to sneak past security, I wouldn't be able to get past the security systems being used to hold the equipment."

"So what do we do?" Mikey asked, his baby blue eyes mirrored with uncertainty as he stared at the three of his brothers, waiting for them to say anything.

"I guess we have no choice," Leo spoke, his tone serious and rather authoritative. "We're going to have to attend April's school as regular students. It's the only way Donnie will be able to get close enough to the equipment he needs without it being pad locked. We get in, grab what we can, and get out. Plain and simple."

"An infiltration mission," Master Splinter spoke while stroking his thin beard. "It will be difficult performing such a task in a crowded setting. Are you sure you and your brothers will be up for the challenge, Leonardo?"

"It won't be easy, but I'm sure we can handle it, sensei." Leonardo smiled. He gazed down upon his appearance, giving himself a once-over before looking back up at his sensei. "Blending in won't be such a problem, that's for sure."

April couldn't help but chuckle. "Uhh, not in tattered blankets and bare feet, if that's what you're thinking. If you're to blend in, might I suggest throwing on some actual clothes? It may be the style now for girls to dress half-naked when they go out in public, but that doesn't mean you guys have to follow the trend."

She walked towards her closet and pushed the door opening, revealing a straightforward variety of colorful clothes and simple outfits that worked for any season over the year. Sorting through the hangers, she pick and chose a few shirts and a couple of blouses, giving them once overs before turning toward the guys. "I'm sure I'll find something you four will like, so feel free to—"

"—I call first dibs!" Mikey shouted, practically shoving April out of the way to sort through her closet. His baby blue eyes lit up like the lights decorating a Christmas tree and it didn't take him long before he pulled out a Easter yellow off-the-shoulder crop top. "Sweeeeeet. You got anything like this in orange?"


	5. Heat Signatures

**Author's Note: **What's up, readers? :D Here I am, reaching my deadline right in the nick of time! Hooray for me! lol

Wow, I think this is the first time I actually took my time writing a chapter out and going over a few things. I have to say, it's a good feeling completing a chapter knowing there aren't any more changes you'd like to do to it AFTER it's already been posted. I should probably do this more often. lol

Anywho, before I forget, there's a topic mentioned more towards the end of the story talking about heat signatures and such that I'm clearly unfamiliar with. I tried my best making the techno-babble _sound _intelligent like I know what I'm talking about, but let's be honest here, I obviously have no idea whether the stuff I mentioned is accurate or not. But hey, we suspend our believes and kinda just roll with it. At least that's what I do when I'm watching a movie or reading a book, unless what they're talking about is totally and completely untrue. But for the sake of this chapter, just go with it, okay? lol And if I'm completely wrong about the concepts of heat signatures, by all means, correct me. It's always good to learn something new and I believe it also helps us grow as authors so we don't make the same mistake again if it just so happens to come up in another one of our works. :)

Okay, now before I get on with the chapter, I'd like to give my thanks to all the lovely readers who've reviewed for my story. Thank you so, so much to my awesome reviewers: **k. alex c-well**, **The Equestrianidiot 2.0**, **MissCookiiie**, **NekoShard**, **BubblyShell22**, **Mewfem**, **Novus Ordo Seclorum**, and **GirlzRule31****2**. You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D

ALSO! I'd like to mention that the 2013 Stealthy Stories Fan Fiction Competition nominations are up! :D If you'd like to indulge yourself in a variety of super awesome stories by super awesome authors, then go check out the site and vote for your faves. You won't be disappointed. :)

Okay, I think that's enough babbling. On with the chapter! Read on, readers. :D

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 5**

**Heat Signatures  
**

* * *

Donatello never speculated a situation this magnificent would ever happen to him; fingers brushing over smooth, plushy cotton dyed a flirtatious, dusty pink.

Eyes roaming over the gorgeously sexy garment he held carefully in his small, trembling hands, the purple-banded ninja felt his cheeks rise in temperature as his mind quickly began to process the silk, red lace adorning the bottom part of April's bra. He couldn't speak. Could barely even breathe. But none of this registered as potentially hazardous as his hands continued to slowly take their time exploring and touching, putting Donatello in a trace he so desperately wished would mesmerize him forever. To think, this is what she wore underneath her clothing on a daily basis. The attire that held her brazenly exposed, supple breasts, like a neatly decorated present just waiting to be unwrapped. It was remarkable. A spectacle his eyes and his eyes alone got the privilege to admire. To touch. To hold. To take in while his mind wandered dangerously into the depths of his imagination, playing scenarios in his head of April lying perfectly spread out atop of his bed, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparked with desire, wearing nothing but the alluring, sensual bra he held in his hands while her legs parted open and exposed her sex.

He shuddered violently just thinking about it, unintentionally drawing his legs tightly together while a jolt of pleasure started building in his nether regions. It was a very foreign feeling and when Donnie opened his eyes he hadn't realized were closed, he glanced down to examine this behavior and noticed a moistness coating the area in-between his legs. It felt strange and unnatural and although the purple-banded ninja didn't quite fully understand the mechanisms of female genitalia, it didn't take a genius to understand that he was fully and utterly aroused.

Good thing the bathroom wasn't out of toilet paper.

"Yo, Don, you almost done? Quit drooling over April's underwear and hurry up," Raphael growled, banging mercilessly on the bathroom door to point where it rattled against the hinges.

Snapping himself out of his reverie, Donnie flashed a lazy glare toward the doorway before slipping his arms through the straps of the bra. "The fact that we don't wear clothes to begin with is a foreign task in and of itself, Raph. Wearing clothes targeted toward young women makes the situation even more difficult, so excuse me for not already being a leading expert on how to put on ladies undergarments."

"Yeah, whatever. Which bra did April give you? Is it a 32B?" He asked rather quickly, the speed of his words hiding the fact that he was exceptionally embarrassed asking such a thing.

Eyebrow raised in blatant curiosity, Donnie craned his neck as far as it would go, trying to look for the small tag connected to the hook used to clasp the bra into place. Noticing that Mikey had indeed been correct about April owning bras from Victoria's Secret, he spotted the tag that proved this fact and looked for the numbers that told him the cup size of the bra he was trying to put on. 32B, just like Raph had indicated.

He didn't know why, but just knowing that personal tidbit of information made his stomach churn both awkwardly and upsettingly. It was bad enough April had to lend them her clothes, but now him and his brothers were exposed to such private aspects of her body - information he was sure April wanted to keep private. He couldn't help but feel as though they were unintentionally violating her and that alone, made Donatello sick to his stomach.

"Donnie?"

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered pathetically, clearing his throat and trying to quell his nerves. "I-It's a, uhm, it's a 32B."

"Dammit," Raph swore under his breath, making Donnie raise his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Why?"

Rolling his eyes, Raphael grumbled and pushed himself off from leaning against the bathroom door. "In case you've forgotten, I ain't exactly packing much of anything. Even April's small rack is bigger than what I've got which, now that I think about it, is kinda disappointing."

The purple-banded ninja couldn't help but chuckle. "So in other words, her bras don't fit you."

He groaned in frustration. "Gah, do I _have _to wear a friggin' bra? I'm already two seconds away from slicing these frilly, lacy panties up with my sais." He tugged at the area where his butt was, grumbling miserably while hoping the stupid bitch who thought of the creation of underwear died a miserable and painful death. "Jesus, it's like goddamn butt floss."

"Maybe your butt's just too big. What do you and Mikey always say? Too much junk in the trunk?" Donnie snickered amusingly. He was already beginning to slip his legs through the holes of April's panties, now understanding what his brother had meant when he mentioned butt floss. Shifting the underwear and tugging at it from the back, he wondered if he too just had a larger posterior than April's own or if female underwear was specifically designed to ride up the crack. Either way, he didn't enjoy it very much.

"Screw it, bras are stupid. I ain't wearing one no matter what April says."

"Fine, don't wear one. It's your choice." Donnie shrugged. "That is, if you don't mind hungry infants staring at your chest like it's a variety-packed smorgasbord. Or creepy perverts. Either way, you're going to attract some attention, Raph."

"Uggh, this sucks!" Raphael roared, trying his best not to kick a hole in Mr. O'Neil's bathroom door. "Why the hell did you have to go tampering with the mutagen in the first place, Donnie? Whether you're human or not, April's feelings toward you ain't gonna change. Just 'cuz the outside of you looks different, that doesn't mean the inside is going to change for the better. Face facts, man. It's never going to happen."

"You don't know that for sure," Donnie spat acidly, hiking up April's excessively tight skinny jeans before he noticed they were both too small in length and wouldn't button up without him sucking his entire stomach in. Nevertheless, he continued to argue with Raphael, his eyes narrowed into irritated slits. "Our mutant form has always been a barrier that kept us separated from intermingling with humans. When you take down those shields, it leaves you open to new possibilities - to human interaction. April's already accepted us for what lies beneath our mutant exterior. Now that we're of the same species, she can engage with us on a completely different level. On a more _personal _level."

He could hear the snort even with the door separating him from his brother, a noise that pissed Donnie off even more than he already was. "Well congrats, Don. Not only are you and April the same species, but you share the same girly features that I'm _sure_ won't be a complete and total turn off for her. Maybe later you two can stay up all night braiding each other's hair while stuffing chocolate down your faces and listening to shitty boy bands. I'm sure that'll _totally_ make her want to just rip your clothes off and have her way with you."

Growling irritably, Donatello quickly threw on his shirt and reached for the doorknob, hell-bent on giving his hotheaded brother a piece of his mind. However, not long after he swung the door open did him and Raph hear a high-pitched, aggravated scream, followed by the sound of their baby brother's name.

"Mikey! Really? That was one of my favorite tops and you just ripped it down the collar!" April yelled from the other room.

"I told you it wasn't going to fit you, Mikey," Leo chastised. At that note, both Donnie and Raph were already exiting Mr. O'Neil's bedroom, slipping down the hallway and poking their heads back into April's room.

"Wardrobe malfunction?" Donnie asked.

"More like wardrobe disaster," April huffed, pinching the bridge between her eyes.

Mikey simply sat on the edge of April's bed, shirtless and also bare from the waist up, using his arms to cover up his exposed, ample bosom. "I'm sorry, April. The tag said it was a size medium, so I figured it would've fit me alright." He bowed his head in sorrow, baby blue eyes filled with sadness while Raphael looked down at his baby brother and raised a perplexed eyebrow.

"Uhm, why aren't you wearing a bra, Mike?"

"Because none of April's bras would fit him," Leo answered. "Mikey's, uhm ... physique, is shaped a little differently than April's own body. In fact, I think we're all shaped a little differently than April. I have to wear a belt every time I tried on a pair of her pants." He lifted up the powdered blue Hollister T-shirt he was wearing to concur this fact, revealing the studded white belt hooked almost to the last hole to keep April's pants from dropping straight down to his ankles.

Shaking her head in utter frustration, April tossed the ripped piece of fabric toward the corner of her room and sighed. She flickered her eyes to each of the brothers, her arms folded over her chest before shrugging her shoulders in sheer defeat. "Well, what do we do now? I mean, it's not like you guys can go running around the school with no bras and no shirts and pants that barely fit you. None of you have even tried on any shoes and I doubt all four of you are going to fit into a size seven. We're all stuck between a rock and a hard place and the mission hasn't even fully commenced."

"Don't assume we're all down for the count just yet, April," Donnie pointed out. He flashed her a reassuring smile, but when he got down to the situation at hand, he knew she was right about their mission being over before it even started. If Master Splinter had taught them anything, it was that infiltration worked at its best when a ninja camouflaged himself in an attire that blended in. Looking the part was only half the obstacle. If he and his brothers showed up at April's school only partly dressed with a few apparel pieces missing, not only would they draw attention to themselves, but it would signal red warning flags that something was up and both he and his brothers simply didn't belong, rendering the mission a failure.

Truth be told, they were shit out of luck.

Before anyone even had the chance to voice an idea, the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the silenced apartment. Hearing the muffled sounds of a young woman speaking from outside of the apartment, April raised a quizzical eyebrow before the realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh, crap! It's Irma! I forgot she was stopping by real quick to give me back my trig book."

"Do you want us to hide?" Leo asked. His eyes were already shifting back and forth, taking in his surroundings and scouting out the better hiding spots.

"No, you all should be fine." She began walking out of her room and into the hallway. "Just, just keep a low profile, alright?"

The four brothers nodded in understanding before April let out a nervous sigh and walked down the hall. On the second ring of the doorbell, she quickened her steps, reaching the front door and opening it with a smile.

"Irma! Hey, what's up?" Her lips quirked into a forced smile, one that she prayed her friend wouldn't notice.

Flashing her a look of uncertainty, Irma shifted her weight onto one side, holding the trigonometry book rather loosely in her arms. "Uhm, hi?" She snickered. "What's got you in such an overly optimistic mood? Sprinkle a little too much sugar on your Cheerios this morning?"

"Oh, you know, just enjoying this lovely sunny day. Heheh. Oh, hey, is that my book? Awesome! Thanks for bringing it over. I'll see you tomorrow at school, yeah? Okay, cool, later!"

"Hold it, O'Neil." Irma kicked her booted foot in between the doorway, her lips quirked into a devilish grin. "You're hiding something. Something you _clearly _don't want me to see. What is it?"

"N-Nothing! My, uhm, my place is just really dirty right now. Haven't gotten started on the chores yet."

She peered between the split in the doorway, trying her best to look over April's head. "Looks pretty clean to me. C'mon, April, just tell me. Is Casey here or something?" Her eyes narrowed into a teasing goad, making April blush rather profusely.

"W-What?" She squeaked. "No, no, don't be silly. There's no one here except—"

_"—Will you back off, already! Your boobs are practically molding into my back!"_

_ "Well excuse me for trying to hear what's going on better!"_

_ "Guys, will you just shut up already? April told us to keep a low profile."_

_ "Tell Dolly Parton over here to put on a goddamn shirt then!"_

Frozen in panic, April simply glanced down at her friend and chuckled rather nervously. At first, Irma didn't say anything, but when her eyes slid in the direction of her room, she glanced up at April and quirked her eyebrow curiously. "I thought you said no one was here."

"Uhm, well, you see..." Her shoulders sunk in utter defeat. Whelp, no use going around it any longer. "My, uhm, cousins are visiting from, uhh ... Pittsburgh! They're here to see the city and spend time with me and my dad for a couple of days. They're pretty shy, so I didn't want to spring strangers on them so soon."

_"Dudes, I think finally found something that fits!" _Mikey exclaimed. A series of shushes followed strictly after his outburst, causing April to flinch while Irma flashed her a rather perplexed expression.

"So, you guys are playing dress up or something?" She giggled while using her pointer finger to push up her glasses.

"Uhm, yeah," said April. She leaned against the door's edge, still trying to block Irma's view in case one of the turtles decided to walk out of her room for whatever reason. "They, uhh, lost their luggage on the flight over here, so I'm lending them a few of my clothes until they head back home."

The sound of something tearing quickly followed April's statement as Mikey let out a nervous chuckle. _"Uhh, never mind. False alarm."_

April emitted a frustrated face-palm, suppressing the urge to go strangle Mikey herself for ripping another item of clothing. Still standing at the doorway, the purple-streaked Goth chick placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight, flashing April a rather genuine smile.

"You know, if your cousins are having trouble finding stuff to wear, I can probably lend a helping hand. My aunt sends me like a crap-ton of gift cards to prissy upscale trend stores that she prays I'll go out and do my shopping in one day. The stuck-up old bat can't stand seeing me in the ever colorful wardrobe you see me in today, so I have no use for these old things." She dug through the small bag she had brought with her and pulled out a variety of colorful, brightly-styled plastic gift cards. Waving them as if they were a fan of cash, she quirked her eyebrow and curved her lips into an inquiring smile. "If your cousins are up for it, we can hit the mall right now. I'm actually in need of some more nail polish, so if you want to go over and ask them, we could—"

The sound of more fabric ripping quickly cut Irma off from speaking any further, followed by the sound of harsh cursing coming from Donnie as well as giggling coming from Mikey.

_"Hah! See, I'm not the only one ripping April's clothes!"_

_ "Oh, man, I hope these weren't here favorite pair of jeans..."_

Temples throbbing irritably, April wasted no time in snatching the gift cards from Irma's hand as she stomped her way down the hallway with the intent to kill gleaming in her eyes. "I'll have them ready in five minutes."

* * *

Karai had wasted no time filling in Master Shredder's position the day he had left to seek out reinforcements in Japan. Day after day, time was usually spent perfecting _kata's_ and going through training modules with the active Footbot's. After all, one was never negligent in the undergo of training.

But Karai had different motives for both Xever and himself. The first task was retrieving Baxter Stockman. Being the incompetent little worm he was, his intellect still formed rather useful in the eyes of Master Shredder's daughter. That night proved unfortunate when the turtles decided to infiltrate Baxter's lab, dumping him in the cesspool of collected mutagen and transforming him into the powerful being he was today. Much to his chagrin, he owed it to the pathetic brat, Michelangelo, for being the cause of his providential accident. He was sick of walking around a bulky, clumsy dog. Now he felt agile. Cunning. A warrior fueled with the annoying dunderhead, just like he had felt back when he was human. When it was easier to sneak up on his enemies and strike with silent force.

It had been creeping up on a week since Master Shredder left on his journey to consult new hired guns and although Bradford had eavesdropped on his and Karai's argumentative conversations, he knew the ungrateful brat still went against her father's orders. She was advised not to make any contact with the Kraang, yet she sent one of their inventions to track down April O'Neil. She was ordered not to devise any ambushes in her father's absence, yet she managed to entrap Leonardo, but also lose him in the scuffle. She was an ingrate at best, throwing her weight around in the presence of both himself and Xever. But Bradford knew it was all just for show. The only one she really scared was Baxter Stockman, but then again, he didn't hold much of a spine when it came to talking back against anyone. The second 'daddy dearest' came back from Japan, he knew Karai would be at his beckon call at the drop of a hat, apologizing for her insurgence and going back to doing what he said. The two-faced little bitch.

As to when Master Shredder would be returning, that was information neither of them knew exactly. Bradford assumed it was approaching rather quickly and Karai must've presumed the exact same thing, which brought both him, Xever, and Stockman to the destination they were exploring at this very moment.

The sewers were a dank and horrifyingly disgusting underbelly of slime and malodorous fumes. It was a wonder the smell or freezing temperatures didn't kill the turtles and their malevolent rat master as Bradford could only imagine having to live down here for the span of nearly half his existence.

Turning the corner and avoiding stepping in the sewage stream, he looked up ahead of him and practically sneered watching Baxter fiddle around with his fancy toy. "How much longer, Stinkman? Karai has made it perfectly clear she doesn't want us coming back empty-handed."

Mechanical legs gyrating with each step, Xever hissed from behind Bradford, shooting daggers straight through Baxter's backside. "And since we are relying on _your _Mousers, we induct full responsibility on you if we do not find anything down here soon."

"Hey, this is a delicate process, you guys," Baxter whined, fiddling with his controls while following one of his Mousers that had been leading the way. "I'm taking a shot in the dark with little to no knowledge as to where this hideout could be, so it may take a while judging by how far these tunnels extend."

Bradford couldn't help the growl that escaped his mouth. While he wasn't exactly a well-renowned genius, he understood the process Baxter had explained to both him and Xever when they embarked on this mission travelling through the sewers. With Master Shredder due to arrive back in New York anytime, Karai wanted to appease 'daddy dearest' by providing him the capture of the turtles and Hamato Yoshi. With foggy details as to where their lair was located, Karai relied on Stockman's Mousers to utilize infrared homing technology, tracking their heat signatures in order to detect where they were hiding.

It had been an hour since their mission commenced and both Bradford and Xever were growing impatient.

That is, until Baxter's remote started going haywire and the Mouser they had been following immediately took off in a dash, screeching its high-pitched wail that seemed to bounce off the sewers walls.

"I think it's found something!" Baxter cried. He quickly trailed behind the speeding Mouser with Bradford and Xever following suit. Turning a sharp corner, what the three men were hoping to stumble across with flitting hope only turned into stark rejection as they ran into a pile of rubble and dirt – a mass destruction of chaotic proportions.

The Mouser quickly scurried atop the mess, scooping up chunks of brick and cement while Stockman and the others stood before the mess in stunned silence.

"W-What ... what happened?" Baxter was the first to speak, his head whipping in different directions trying to make sense of what had transpired.

"An ambush?" Xever asked, picking up a torn pillow that was tossed aside in the corner.

Bradford's eyes narrowed into slits, examining the ruins that had been scattered across the floor. He knew, as a warrior, that observation was the key in piecing together the transparencies of a battlefield and taking notice of the finer details was just as important as knowing the combatants who fought among the front line. "No," he answered, taking notice of the charred streaks on the ground leading out of one room, almost as though an explosion emanated inside. "There was an accident."

"So, where are the turtles now?" Baxter asked, the lilt of anxiety lining his words.

An abrupt crash quickly followed the end of his sentence, causing both Bradford and Xever to snap their attention in the direction of the sound. It had come from the room Bradford assumed held the cause of the mysterious accident and with cautious steps, he slipped inside with Xever following behind. He took in his surroundings, realizing that a lot had been damaged, including the walls that flaked over with blackened soot and singed brick. The room held the remnants of burning chemicals and scorched papers, causing Bradford to believe that a fire had taken place. Only question was, who had started it?

The sound of a crash ignited the fight-or-flight responses rushing through Bradford's skeletal frame and although both he and Xever were on high alert, Bradford couldn't help but feel a icy chill creep up his spine.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" The warrior demanded, a fierce growl edging the underlining of his words.

Coming from the corner way off in the distance, Bradford could detect a very faint, yet off-putting greenish glow followed by the squelch of something wet and mucky. Eyes squinting to get a better look, he noticed a slimy ooze was starting to trickle out of the corner – the sound of harsh grunting echoing through his wolf-like ears.

"_Madre mía_..." Xever breathed, watching as the mound of ooze shifted and contorted, compiling into one giant mass of green slime containing what looked like vital, functioning organs.

"What the hell is that?" Bradford asked while taking a step back, his body rigid just waiting for the attack.

A pinkish rope slick with glistening slime slithered out from the greenish ooze, the tip splitting open to reveal a pair of gross, saliva-coated teeth.

"Fiiiiirrrre burrrrn," it drowned. "Exploooosssion, boom! Leffft me to diiiiie, Donnnnniiie!"

"So there was an accident," Bradford whispered. His ears perked up when he heard a shriek coming from Baxter's Mouser, the scrawny scientist quickly running inside the room with eyes wide in excitement.

"I think I may have a lead!" Baxter exclaimed, slipping inside the room while holding on to his control device. "Judging from the scans my Mousers examined, there was indeed a chemical explosion that caused the turtles' lair to condense into shambles. _However_, their heat signatures are still scattered all across this space and not only that, but their emitting strong currents that also lead into the tunnels. If the turtles had perished in this unknown explosion, the signatures wouldn't be as powerful, nor would they disperse outside of their lair. They must've fled after the cause of this so called incident."

"Yet one question still remains: where are the turtles and their treacherous rat master now?" Bradford asked.

"The heat signatures," Xever piped up. "You said that they lead outside of the lair. Could you follow the trail and see where it leads?"

"It's not impossible, but it won't be easy," Baxter exclaimed. "It's a lot colder in the sewers than it is outside the surface, so it's easier for my Mousers to track down the heat signatures until they lead into the city. All those bystanders emitting different waves of body temperature – they could mix and intermingle, throwing the entire trail off and leading us somewhere completely off track. We'd be following a broken, twisted path."

"Great," Bradford growled, his eyes training down to the glob of organs and ooze still holding up its mouth like a slithering snake.

"Leffft me behiiiinnnnd. Leffft me foooor Apriiiiiiil, Donnnnniiiiie."

Ears quirked up, Bradford's lips tightened into a serious line before he snapped his attention back to Stockman. "Get Karai on the line and inform her about the accident." He glanced back down at the slimy blob, his fangs gleaming deviously into a pointed, scheming smile. "And let her know we'll be bringing back a friend..."


	6. Shopping Spree

**Author's Note: **Howdy, readers. :D Glad to be back in good ol' Cali after spending the weekend in Las Vegas. I'm actually really excited seeing as this was my first time gambling (not including going to Sunday bingo) and I actually came back with BANK! Five hundred dollars all to myself! x3 Even got to treat myself to a few new clothes that I absolutely cannot WAIT to break in! That and I can finally pay off that stupid speeding ticket I finally got in the mail. Always drive the speed limit, readers. :P These speeding tickets don't come cheap.

Alright, now I _would've _had this chapter up on the 27th of February, but I was having a little difficulty writing out Irma's character, so I decided to take a break and enjoy my vacation. And after seeing last Sunday's episode of TMNT, my creative juices were replenished and I got to writing again. :D Even though she doesn't talk much in this chapter, I still wanted to make sure I was writing her as in-character as possible. Kind of hard to do since she hasn't been in very many episodes. Nonetheless, I hope she sounds alright. :)

Now on to the thank yous! I want to give a nice big thanks to my fabulous reviewers: **MissCookiiie**, **TheEquestrianIdiot 2.0**, **Novus Ordo Seclorum**, **BubblyShell 22**, **Mewfem**, and **GirlzRule312**. Thank you all for your added support. It really does make my day. :3 And to show my gratitude, here's the update right on schedule! I hope you all enjoy it! :3

Don't forget also to mosey on over to the new Stealthy Stories site and check out those nominated fics for the 2013 Stealthy Stories Fan Fiction Competition. The voting period will be here before you know it, so read on and tally up your favorites. :)

One more thing! The bit with Raphael making fun of Mikey's naming abilities is all thanks to **Roo** on Stealthy Stories. :)

Alright, now on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the turtles nor do I own the rights to 'That '70s Show' or 'RuPaul's Drag Race'.

...It'll make sense in a minute.

* * *

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"**

**Chapter 6**

**Shopping Spree**

* * *

"We're going, _where_?" Raphael cringed, the mere thought stripping away what little manly pride he had left.

April scoured through her closet, sorting through the hangers before she picked out the biggest sweater she owned. She tossed it to Michelangelo, praying to God that his boobs wouldn't tear through the fabric like they had done with her other tops. Any more ripped clothes and _she _would be the one in desperate need of a shopping spree. After all, she didn't have many clothes to begin with and the fact that her father was no longer in the workforce due to his mutation, she really couldn't afford to lose anymore outfits.

"Irma's going to be taking us to the mall to get you guys some clothes and I don't want to hear any ifs, ans, or buts about it, Raphael," she scowled, pointing an accusing finger at the red-banded ninja before he even had a chance to open his mouth.

Mikey popped his head out of the over-sized sweater, his short blonde wisps springing from the static that the fabric produced. Boobs were still intact, so that was a good sign. "I've never been to a mall before. That's where all the teenagers hang out and grab lunch at the food court and talk about their crushes, right? I've seen it all the time on TV."

Leo cringed with rattled discomfort. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea, April. Master Splinter has trained us to stick solely to the shadows and keep ourselves distant from humans. What if they see through our guise?"

April rolled her eyes. "Leo, relax. You guys want to blend in, right? Then you're going to have to look the part if you don't want to draw attention to yourselves when you carry out your mission. _My _clothes obviously don't fit any of you, so unless you want Mikey's boobs popping out of his shirt or your pants falling down your ankles in the middle of judgmental teenagers, then I suggest you throw on your big boy pants and accept Irma's offer."

"You have big boy pants?" Mikey was taken aback. "Why didn't you give them to Donnie? Would've saved him the embarrassment of splitting your jeans open."

Blinking vacantly at the orange-banded ninja, April dismissed his question and let out a sigh. "Just, act natural, okay, guys? Be like how you normally would. And _no _mentions of mutagen, ninjas, or the fact that your dad is a giant, talking rat."

"Woah, harsh, April," Mikey uttered. "Need I remind you he's not much different from your mutant bat father?"

"Mikey," Donnie warned, shooting a glare at his baby brother. Turning his attention back to April, he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Uhm, not that I'm trying to stall or anything, but how are we even going to introduce ourselves to Irma? Our names already sound strange as it is, wouldn't she think it odd that they're all very, uhm ... masculine?"

Mikey was the first to shoot his hand in the air. "Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! I got this! This is totally up my alley, bros ... uh, I mean sis ... sisses? Sissies? Whatever, I can totally come up with cool names for us."

"Oh great, because it clearly wasn't enough making us wear frilly panties and have us go shopping. Now we gotta change our names too?" Raph groaned with a roll of his eyes. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned his body against the wall with a grunt. "I don't think I trust Dr. Namenstein here. Knowing him, he'll probably give us all retarded names like _She-onardo _and _Rapha-girl _and _Fem-atello_."

Mikey immediately shot his brother an accusing glare. "How _lame _do you think I am, dude?"

"You don't want me to answer that, Mike."

"Alright, enough," Leo warned, allowing Mikey to continue with his task. "Okay, Mikey, let's hear it."

Michelangelo eagerly rubbed his hands together, his face split into an excited grin as he looked over his brothers. "Alright, let's see..." He surveyed Leonardo first, his eyes trailing up and down his brother's slender frame. While Leo was the one who trained most out of the four of them, his feminine appearance made him look soft and delicate. Almost like a porcelain China doll. Mikey reached out a hand to touch a strand of midnight locks, nodding his head while getting up close and personal, which in return made Leo back away uncomfortably.

"Your skin looks really soft, bro. Very smooth, like a princess. Oh! I got it! How 'bout Leah? Like that slave princess from 'Star Wars' Donnie always stares at."

"You mean _Leia_ not _Leah_. And I don't stare at her!" His cheeks darkened with raw mortification while April shot the purple-banded ninja a disapproving glare.

Mikey waved his hand dismissively. "Details, details. But I like the name Leah. I think it suits you, bro."

"_Leah_?" Raph cocked an eye ridge. "All you did was take out the 'o' and add an 'ah' at the end. Even I could've thought of that."

"Well then why didn't you?" Mikey asked in a mocking tone. Raphael bore his teeth and raised his fist, making Mikey squeak apprehensively until Leo forced them both to stop.

"Okay, okay, moving along," he urged brusquely. With reluctance, Raph lowered his fist and groused, which Mikey took into account before sticking out his tongue and blowing him a raspberry. The hothead had to practically root himself to the floor before he allowed his anger to rip Mikey's tongue out and shove it up his nose. The little brat was lucky he had big brother Leo to protect him.

"Alright, Donnie's next," said Mikey, doing the same thing he had done to Leo and studied his brother with flitting eyes. Although Donnie had lost a few inches after the mutation, he was still taller than all three of his brothers, reaching a little over five or six inches past April's own height. All four of them lost a good amount of muscle they built up from years of training, so Donnie appeared rather lanky and awkward. His subtle curves were hidden underneath the long sweater April had given him to hide the elongated tear running down the back of his jeans. His face, however, was a define feature that was very soft – no sharp edges that made him look intimidating or bitchy. Throw a little make-up here and there and he could totally pass as a supermodel. Did April have any make-up? Maybe if he tied Donnie to a chair he could look up make-up tutorials on Youtube and paint his face. It'd be just like arts and crafts!

"How about Donna? Like that really tall girl from 'That '70s Show'."

Raph scoffed. "Okay, seriously, Mikey, these are all names that don't take much conscious thought."

"At least they're easy to remember," Donnie pointed out while Mikey practically skipped toward Raphael, his lips curved into an animated smile.

"Okay, Raph, let's come up with your name." He reached out a hand to run his fingers through his brother's extremely short, fire-engine red hair, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth in conscious thought.

"Let me guess, Raphaela?"

"How 'bout Raquel?" Mikey asked, examining his brother's small hands before giving him a look of acceptance.

"_Raquel_?" Raph practically retched with disdain.

"Yeah," Mikey chirruped. "It's exotic. In fact, throw on some designer clothes and you can you look just a pretty as those weird-talking runway models they show on the commercials for 'RuPaul's Drag Race'. The ones that wear a lot of make-up and call each other 'sweetie' and 'darling'."

At that comment, both Leo and Donnie burst into a fit of laughter, doubling over in joviality while Raph shot them both a pissed off snarl. April's eyes widened as she gasped, her hand over her mouth warily before she glanced over at Michelangelo. "Uhm, Mikey, you do know those women aren't actually—"

"Just leave it alone, April," Leo snickered while wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "I'm sure he'll figure it out on his own eventually."

"Yeah, if _Raquel_ doesn't wring his neck first," Donnie chuckled, enjoying the mixture of tight-lipped resentment and utter humiliation splayed across Raphael's burning face. Very rarely was his brother ever stunned to silence and Donnie wanted to bask in his indignity before Raph got his hands on something to chuck his and Leo's way. Then again, he couldn't really blame Mikey for making such an accusation. After all, Raph did lack the define features that made him appear feminine like the rest of his brothers, what with the distinctively small curves and very petite mounds that could hardly be detected as breasts. He did have a nice butt though, Donnie will admit that and the fact that he was acknowledging such a thing about his own _brother _made him want to run back to Mr. O'Neil's bathroom and throw up.

"Alright, so that just leaves you now, Mikey," said April. By now she was tapping her foot rather impatiently, waiting for all of them to settle on names before she brought them out to meet Irma. Her friend was already offering such a generous proposal, so she didn't want to keep her waiting any more than she already had to. After all, she was still standing outside. The poor girl was probably on the verge of freezing her mascara off.

"How 'bout Booberella?" Raphael sniggered only to be smacked in the back of the head by April. "_Ow_, God, I was just kidding! Jesus."

"Who's coming up with the retarded names now?" Mikey grinned, taking a moment to look over himself before coming up with a decision. "I dunno, I kinda feel like a Mika. It's short, cute, and sounds like something you don't hear every day."

"If only we had the pleasure to not hear you every day, Mike," Raph retorted while rubbing the back of his head with a wince.

"_Hello? April?_" Irma's voice carried out into the hallway, the sound of her footsteps causing everyone to freeze exactly where they stood. Shushing them all with a finger to her lips, April did her best to appear natural before Irma poked her head through the doorway Her face was split into an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it was getting a little chilly outside so I just invited myself in. You all ready yet?"

"Uhm, y-yeah," April stuttered nervously. "Uhm, Irma, these are my cousins. Guys ... uhh, I mean girls ... this is my friend, Irma."

"Hey." Irma waved, receiving a series of nervous waves from April's so-called cousins. That is, until Mikey practically propelled himself in front of the Goth chick, face beaming like a ray of sunshine that would've powered any solar energy panel.

"What's up, dudette? Uhh, I mean, hey _girl_." The over-the-top emphasize on the last word brought out a rather girly bubbliness in Mikey's voice, making him sound like the overly-preppy valley girls he saw on TV. It was spot on, faultless, and scared the hell out of his brothers with how accurate it sounded.

Reaching out and grabbing both of Irma's hands, Mikey gave them a frantic little shake, catching Irma off guard as she held on to her glasses to prevent them from sliding off her nose. He smiled cheerfully, throwing his arm over her shoulder and pressing his cheek close to hers. "I'm Mika. Pleased to make your acquaintance. These here are my big sissies. Sisters, not sissies as in wimps. We like to think of ourselves as independent women who can take care of ourselves. We're pretty good at kicking it ninja-style."

"Mike—uh, I mean, Mika," April whispered sternly. She struck her neck with her hand in a 'cut it out' motion, allowing Leo to jump in before the orange-banded ninja said anything else that would blow their cover.

"Uhm, what my _sister_ means is we've taken a few self-defense classes. Nothing too extreme though. Just stuff you'd learn at any normal self-defense course. Heheh." He chuckled anxiously, rubbing the back of his neck before he stuck his hand out for Irma to shake. "I'm, uh, Leah. Nice to meet you. We can't even begin to express our gratitude for such a thoughtful offer. My, sisters and I thank you tremendously."

"Indeed." Donatello smiled. "I'm Donna and the radiant ball of sunshine over there in the corner is Raquel." He waved his hand in a hithering motion, his gap-toothed grin making Raphael want to punch it clear off his face. "Come on, sweetie. Don't be shy."

"Say that again, _Donna_ and this radiant ball of sunshine's gonna tan your friggin' hide." He walked up to where Irma was standing, his hands still folded over his chest while he nodded his head in greeting and mumbled. "'Sup."

"Well hello to you too," Irma chuckled. She slung her bag over her shoulder and glanced at April, pushing her glasses with her forefinger. "Well then, shall we get going?"

Raphael blew exasperatedly at his short bangs. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner we leave the mall, the better."

* * *

Raphael felt as though he were about to snap in half as he hoisted the overly constricting skinny jeans up his waist, the pant-line digging painfully into his hipbones. "This. Is _not_. Better!" He choked, throwing himself on the floor and thrusting his hips upward to try and button the jeans together. He felt his cheeks burn with the intensity of his aggravation and he yelled over the dressing room door where April and Irma were patiently waiting for him to finish. "Jesus Christ, how the hell do you gals fit into these circulation cutoffs?"

"They're a size eight," April pointed out astounded. "Your butt can't be that big, Ra—uh, Raquel."

"Leah did tell you to lay off the midnight pizza, sis," Mikey pointed out standing next to April. Pinching the ends of the flowing candy apple red skirt that cascaded just above his knees, he twirled his hips back and forth while watching in fascination as the skirt lifted from the motions and spun like a whirling umbrella.

He giggled girlishly despite himself. "Man, how come you never wear skirts like this, April? They're so breezy and fun."

"Well for one, we're still in the middle of winter, remember?" April quirked an amused eyebrow, watching the youngest turtle perform a full-on pirouette before laughing jubilantly, his soft, feathery blonde wisps bouncing in tune with his laughter. April had a feeling she knew what Mikey was about to stock up on.

The door to Donnie's dressing room quickly opened just a crack and April focused her attention on the purple-banded turtle who was motioning for her to come inside. Obliging to Donnie's orders, she slipped inside his room and stood before him, noticing the wash of crimson mortification splotched across Donnie's cheeks as he quietly shut the door behind him.

She waited patiently as he cleared his throat. "Uhm ... okay, I think I've given this contraption enough 'college tries' to know I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing," he chuckled shyly, turning his back to reveal the loose ends of the bra April and Irma had picked out for him. Wetting his lips, he glanced over his shoulder and looked at April with pleading eyes, trying his very best not to emit a stutter in his voice. After all, it wasn't every day he needed to ask for April's assistance in putting on a brassiere. "Uhm, how exactly do you get it to hook in the back?"

April smiled, setting down the pair of clothes each of them had tossed to her and Irma as 'the rejects'. "Well for one, it's a lot easier when you hook it first. That way you can just throw it on like a tank top. Here, let me help you."

"Thanks." His shoulders sank, cheeks darkening in color when he felt April's gentle fingers brush against the small of his back. He gulped nervously, feet shuffling in tune with the awkwardness as he stared at his expression reflecting back at him in the dressing room mirror. "I, uhm, never got a chance to apologize."

"For what?"

"For this," Donnie indicated with his hands. "Things are already pretty awkward for my brothers and I trying to adapt to our innovative alterations, but you sort of got caught in the middle of it. None of us really know the functions of certain clothes and, uhm ... women's undergarments, so that kind of puts you in the forefront of all these awkward situations. And for that, I apologize."

"Donnie, don't worry." April smiled, clasping the bra in place with ease. "As far as I'm concerned, you and your brothers are just one of the girls. Everything you carry, it's nothing I haven't seen before. Is it still awkward? Yes."

He felt his shoulders tense rigidly, which in return made April laugh. Reaching over, she placed a comforting hand on the purple-banded ninja's shoulder. "But truth be told, girls are way more comfortable helping other girls out when it comes to certain things like this. You've got nothing to apologize for."

"Then why do I still feel like something's off?" Donnie asked miserably. Truth be told, he knew exactly the reason why. Because this was all his fault. If he hadn't let his curiosity get the best of him, things would be normal. April's _life_ would be normal again and so would her father's. He blew the only chance he had to turn Mr. O'Neil back into a human. And for what? For a chance to be human? Even if he was physically human to the naked eye, it still didn't help him in his favor at all. Him and his brothers were girls and due to Donatello's lack of equipment to study the effects the mutagen had on their bodies, he wasn't sure how much longer they had before the results became permanent. Or worse.

Mutagen was highly unpredictable and had different repercussions depending on the carrier. The possibilities were endless. Not only could it affect Don and his brothers' appearances, but it could also do internal and psychological damage as well, changing their endocrine system and overall interior structure. It was downright stressful knowing at any moment him and his brothers could be faced with irreversible effects and Donatello would never forgive himself if he failed not only the woman he loved, but his family as well. No, he was going to find a cure. He'd put his selfish needs in front of him already. Now was the time to put his brothers' needs before anything else.

Before it was too late.

A sporadic series of knocks quickly snapped Donatello out of his trance. "Donnie?" Leo whispered through the other side of the door, keeping his tone hushed so that Irma wouldn't hear him. "Donnie, open up."

Reaching for the latch, April opened the door and gasped despite herself, her face a wash of astonished bliss that would've put Mikey's sparkly demeanor to shame.

While Mikey was the easiest to pick out clothes for – the little goofball trying on anything they would throw at him – Leo came in as a close second, never detesting anything they would offer for him to try on in an attempt at being polite, unlike Raph or Donnie who either flat out rejected their outfits or nitpicked them to holy hell. In fact, he seemed to have no trouble at all dressing himself either, the snug, off-the-shoulder gray sweater hanging precariously over his right shoulder matched perfectly with his hip-hugger jeans and black buckled boots. The added touch-ups such as the spangled bracelets and white slouch beanie adorning his head made April gush. Turn her, Leo looked downright _adorable_.

"Nice look, Leo!" She praised. "Looking good. You clean up quite nicely."

"Uhh, thanks," Leo flushed, his eyes flicking to both April and Donnie. "Have either of you seen, Mikey? I can't find him anywhere around the store."

April and Donnie both exchanged worried looks before April turned her attention back to Leo. "Last I saw him he was standing next to me and Irma. After that I came in here to help Donnie."

"What happened now?" Irma asked, walking towards Leo with a grumbling Raphael at her side. Small beads of sweat decorated his flushed face, the heat in his cheeks matching the hue of his fiery red locks. Despite his struggle trying to fit into a size eight, he eventually gave up and opted for the next size up, tuning Irma's reassuring lecture of how size is just a number and not every woman is fit like a twiggy, skin and bones supermodel. He didn't care whether Donnie found a way to change them back next week or tonight because either way, he was beating the little nerd into submission and wringing his neck with those damn constricting jeans.

"Mik—uhh, Mika's missing," Leo reported, his voice now laced with frantic panic. "Have either of you seen her?"

Irma shook her head. "Last I saw her she was with April. Did you check around the store?"

"I checked everywhere. She's not here," said Leo, now pacing back and forth before emitting a frustrated growl. He knew he should've stayed by his younger brother's side. Being in unfamiliar territory, Mikey was sure to get distracted and wander off. In only he had kept a better eye on him!

"Well we're not going to find the brat just standing around. Why don't we all split up?" Raphael suggested.

"Good idea." Leo nodded. "If anyone spots her, we contact each other via phones. She shouldn't have gotten far, so try to keep a sharp eye out for—"

"—Bro, I'm tellin' ya, this chick is insane!" Exclaimed a young skater teen wearing a slanted cap and carrying a skateboard. He was eagerly tugging on to his friend's arm, ushering him past the store's entrance and weaving him through the crowd. "She's like dominating the high scores on that dance simulator game they put up a while ago. You gotta check it out! She's fucking _hot_!"

Watching the two guys disappear into the crowd, Raphael slid his gaze toward Leo, his expression riddle disbelief. "You don't think...?"

Sighing in defeat, the blue-banded turtle motioned for everyone to follow him.


End file.
